Sly as a Cooper
by SmashQueen
Summary: 14 year-old Faye is sucked into Sly 2. Will she make it back in one piece or will she leave a part of herself behind? Can she even get home at all? Involves Neyla-bashing. Canceled.
1. Beating the Game

This is a repost of the story I had under another person's account. I used to be the second division of that account, but now that I got my own account I have finally got the chance to get reviews without tearing the story down anytime soon. I sadly had to give up thirty-one reviews to do this. Some changes will occur since I revolved two chapters around songs. Darn rule. I'll be changing the songs or taking them out. Sadly everything not dealing with Sly Cooper has been removed except for the mention of DDR, which I do **not** own.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sly Cooper (or the aforementioned DDR).

_Italics are Faye's thoughts except for the title and the notes below._

**WARNING: **If you have not played or even finished Sly 2 and do not want any spoilers for it, then do not read this fanfiction. It has been remodeled so if you know nothing about the later levels of Sly 2 then it will reveal spoilers. Turn back now if you have not finished Sly 2 and want the plots twists revealed on your own. Thank you.

_Note: This chapter has been redone to add one more OC so future chapters won't be confusing. Also, the first person PoV has been changed to third.  
Note 2: This chapter has been slightly modified to avoid OoC reactions and to include a little more detail to avoid a meager start.__  
Note 3: Please don_'_t steal my plot. Taking __dialogue from the game is alright, but stealing my ideas is not. **Remember that.  
**_

_Chapter 1: Beating the Game_

"Yes! I beat Sly 2!" an adolescent girl said loudly as the credits rolled on the screen. The smooth, devious music of thievery played as she rotated her balled-up fists in a circle in front of her, chuckling a little. Humming along with the theme song for a bit, the gleeful teen rested her hands on her blue denim jeans, hands clasped together as the Master Thief's trademark icon faded to an unexpected cutscene and an epilogue. The sleeves of the girl's solid green sweatshirt were scrunched together as she slowly leaned forward, reading every word that the epilogue had to offer. An intense reading later, the teenager cheered once more.

"Yes! That just screams sequel!" she said to herself, sapphire blue eyes lighting up as she smiled brightly. Then another message came up:

'Congratulations!

You've won.

That's it.

You've seen everything.

Go outside.'

The beginning title came up and the girl laughed,

"Alright! I have been playing for three hours straight! Ha ha! 'Obey' the video game! Ha ha!" A male voice boomed from outside her door,

"I can't believe it! A machine replaced me!" The adolescent frowned, pushed the 'open' button on her PS2, took out the Sly 2 disc, and put it in its case. As she closed the disc port manually, a shrill female voice cried out,

"How are we going to pay this month's rent?" She pulled out the blue memory card, crawled across her bed and reached under her blue striped pillow, pulling out a pair of black socks. The girl put on a pair of white shoes and tied them up as the male shouted again,

"I don't know! How about _you_ get a job instead of laying around all day!" The girl grabbed a small blue backpack, put Sly 2 and the memory card inside it, and zipped the pack shut.

"I wash the dishes, do the laundry, vacuum!" The girl opened her window right of her bed and held onto the white, wooden lattice fence with vines.

"Yeah right!" The girl climbed down the fence and jumped off near the end. Near her landing was a black bicycle with blue handles. The tires were well worn and the name of the bike was so scuffed up you couldn't make out what it said. Painted in red over the scuffed name were the words 'Honor thy name is thievery.' Up above her, the shouts of her parents were distant, but still it was clear that they were still arguing. The girl kicked up the kickstand and pushed her bike to the back white and chipped gate. She raised her right leg and kicked the gate open. It roughly stopped halfway and she pushed her bike out, kicking the gate shut behind her. The girl got on her bicycle and rode down the sidewalk leading from the backside of her house. The homes on both sides of the block were blurs as she rushed past.

After several blocks, she skidded to a stop in front of a fairly large house. Stone steps led up a small hill to the front porch. Palm trees lined the way as Faye carried her bike up to the front door. She kicked down the kickstand, set it on the wooden porch, and approached the door.

**Knock, knock, knock. **

A few seconds later, the door opened to a teenage girl with shoulder-length black hair and mysterious bright blue eyes. She had on a purple long-sleeved shirt and black pants.

"I thought you were coming, Faye. Come on in," she said as she waved her hand, beckoning Faye to enter.

"Thanks, Trinity," Faye shut the door behind her. "My folks were arguing again." Trinity led the way to a staircase leading upstairs.

"So what's new?" she asked. Faye beamed,

"I just finished Sly 2!"

"Didn't that come out about two weeks ago?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't able to get it until it had been out for a few days." Trinity and Faye got to the top of the stairs and turned left down the hallway.

"Why so long? The way you and the others go through games, I would have thought you'd have been done in two or three days." Trinity stopped in front of an open door and walked inside with her friend. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle of the room with a comforter of weird shapes and colors. A 25-inch television sat in front of the bed on a wooden stand connected to a dusty VCR/DVD player. A PS2 and an XBox sat under the stand; one connected to the player and one directly to the television. A computer was situated on a desk on the other side of the room, a spare chair next to the door, and two beanbag chairs were stationed to the right of the door.

"It got too easy. You know how I get," Faye said as she sat down on the spare chair.

"Ah, you switched between games when your skills surpassed it," Trinity sat down on her bed. "And when your curiosity of the eluding ending got to you, you went back."

"Yep. By Episode 3, I had the controls down. The guards never got tougher until the last episode when they had jetpacks, I knew how to get all the treasure, even the timed ones, and I had bought all the good stuff on Thiefnet. I adapt way too fast for my own good," Faye sighed, slinking back into the chair.

"That's a good thing." Faye raised an eyebrow in question. "Quick adaptation to one's environment ensures a greater rate of safety. Besides, aren't you the one who's always quoting the Sly games and comic?"

"Heh, yeah," Faye held up her right index finger and cleared her throat, "'_A master thief must adapt and always think on his feet. Even when he's not on his feet.'_" She smiled slyly as she took off her backpack, "I've also been able to imitate some Sly characters recently."

"Which ones?" Trinity asked as her eyes sparkled with mystery.

"Sly, Dimitri, a bit of Bentley, and I've almost got Carmelita," she paused, "Show your bling and let me shine you!" Trinity raised an eyebrow in amusement,

"You actually sound like him," she pointed to the backpack, "So I take it you brought Sly 2?" Trinity smiled.

"Yep. Um…Trinity, can I stay the night? Since it's a Saturday and all…" Faye asked a bit shyly.

"Of course," Trinity said casually. "I've got the clothes ready in the guest closet and the guest room is all set."

"Thanks Trinity," Faye beamed. Trinity smirked and revved up the PS2.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Later that night, Faye changed into a black shirt and dark blue sweats and watched the ending of Sly 2 with Trinity before going to bed. Their adventure, and Faye's, was still fresh in her memory.

'_If only I had really been there,'_ Faye thought, as she drifted into a wonderful sleep.

Faye suddenly felt cold. She reached for her blanket to find it was nonexistent. Faye got up and searched blindly for her warm, missing blanket but only found a cold, hard floor.

"Huh? This isn't my room…or the guest room," Faye said to herself. She opened her eyes and looked around. She lifted her blonde hair behind her with her right hand to get it out of the way of her view. It was too good to be true. Only a dream could be that vivid. The teen got up from the cold, hard floor she had woken up on.

'_This looks like the beginning of Sly 2_,' Faye thought to herself. She stared at the pedestal in the middle of the room and approached it. Her bare feet made little sound as she walked forward. "This is where Sly bounced up to get to the upper levels. But it doesn't look like he's been here yet," Faye whispered to no one in particular. She shivered a bit and looked upwards at the ceiling. "But that means… _gasp_!" Faye ran, hid behind a potted plant, and waited. Before long, a figure dropped down from a rope hanging from the ceiling and landed gracefully on the ground. It was a raccoon with a cane in his hand. The raccoon stood up with an elegant posture.

_'It's Sly Cooper! Yes!'_ Faye slowed her breathing to keep her position hidden. Sly brought out his binocucom and a familiar nasally voice was heard,

"Breaker Alpha Foxtrot this is the Wizard, do you read me Sitting Duck?"

_'Bentley! Is this for real?'_

"This is Peking Duck, I hear you Blizzard," said Sly. Faye held in a chuckle.

_'I'll answer my question later.'_

"No Sly, I'm the 'Wizard' and you're "Sitting Duck.'"

"I read you loud and clear Lizard."

_'This is funnier than playing the video game itself!'_

"No I'm…forget it, you're not taking this seriously."

"Yeah, I'm not. Look Bentley I know this is your first time out in the field but you've got to loosen up. If we're going to get to those Clockwerk parts I need you on your toes. So in plain talk what's your status?"

"Well, I've established myself in the basement and I'm pretty sure I can rewire the service elevator if you can power it up from that security station."

"Hang tough pal, it may take some time, but I'll figure out a way to get up there." Sly put away his binocucom and took a good look around. Faye pressed her body against the glass to keep hidden. Fortunately, Sly had jumped on the middle trampoline and avoided Faye completely.

_'There's no way I'm passing up this chance!'_ Faye followed Sly's path up the trampoline and across the bones that suspended from the ceiling. Her heart froze when it creaked under her weight. But luckily, Sly was on it too at the time and he didn't seem to notice her.

_'Thank goodness!_' Faye flattened herself on the tailbone to stay hidden. She wanted to wait until the right moment to reveal herself. Sly pulled a lever and Bentley's voice was heard again.

"Okay I splice the wires…ouch! Hold on. There it is."

A short turtle with glasses soon came out of an elevator and started for the security computer. It was none other than Bentley. "Okay, okay let me at that security computer!" said Bentley.

It was now or never. Faye got up and jumped to the landing in front of her.

"Sly Cooper, I presume?" she said as she got up from her crouched position.

"Oh no!" Bentley freaked, waving his arms around like a crazed chicken, "The operation's exposed! Abort mission!" He had not turned around yet, so Sly was the one to state the obvious,

"A human?" Bentley slowly turned around at that word, "But...humans don't exist. Just who are you?" The thief raised an eyebrow at Faye, a clear anomaly in his, and apparently everyone's, eyes. She opened her mouth to speak when Bentley sputtered out practically a mile a minute,

"Gadzooks! A human? That's impossible! There's just no way! Wait a minute..." Bentley lowered his head as if thinking, or having just realized something.

"Hold on there!" Faye raised her hands up defensively and waved them. "I only want to he -"

"Sly, Bentley. Where are you guys?" a hearty voice said, coming out of nowhere. It was only after a moment when Sly put his hand to his ear that Faye was able to grasp just who it was that the voice belonged to. Her heart slowing down, Faye smirked as Sly answered the third member of his gang,

"Sorry pal. We're on our way, and we just may have a tag along." Sly stole a glance at Faye – or at least she thought he did – before continuing, "We'll be there as soon as possible. Just hang on." Sly lowered his hand and Faye, casually looking down at her right hand as if admiring her fingernails (as if there was anything to look at), chuckled at the Master Thief. _This is going to be fun._

"Like I said, I'd like to help you guys." She lowered her hand and made eye contact with Sly, smirking as if she had some information that he wanted. "I know I'm a bit of an anomaly, but I believe I can really help you." Her voice changed from 'I'm-hiding-something-from-you' to a more serious tone. "Clockwerk was a menace to everyone and every_thing_ and I don't want that thing on the loose again. Help the people who have seen it..." Faye shook her head a bit, knowing like any Sly Cooper gamer that many had lost their lives to the conniving metallic owl. "So how 'bout we work together? I know a lot about thieving and I know this place like the back of my hand." Faye finished, waiting for an answer.

"What do you think Sly?" Bentley asked him, "I mean, she's a human! An actual _human_!" Sly looked at the teen, grinning.

"How many times have you been here?" he asked her.

"More times than the security night watch," Faye answered, "And I've never been caught." Sly smirked.

"Alright, you can come," he said, "Just don't let the guards catch you." By that time, Bentley – who had snuck off to hack the security computer - had finally got the security shut off and Sly was on his way. Bentley made the fake intercom announcement about the security alarm and said,

"We need to meet at the rendezvous point." And with that they were off to help Sly with the Clockwerk parts, but Faye already knew what was in store and she was sure glad that she was fast on her feet.

* * *

In case you didn't read it before, I redid this chapter to include Trinity and Faye's parents. The reason will become apparent in later chapters. If I told which, there's goes the story. Compared to other chapters, this one is short but I needed to get Faye acquainted with the Cooper gang. I do practically know the stage like the back of my hand. I had to go through it several times before I got this up. :)


	2. Where Did She Learn To Shoot?

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Sly and never will. Darn it!

Here's the second chapter of "Sly as a Cooper." Enjoy!

_Note: BC turned to 'binocucom' since BC is never used ever again after this chapter._

_Chapter 2: Where Did She Learn to Shoot?  
_

Faye kept pace with Bentley as they ran to the rendezvous point. In fact, Faye could easily pass Bentley if she wanted, but she didn't want to get too far ahead because…

"According to my information the Clockwerk parts are being stored up there…" Bentley was communicating to Sly through a binocucom. "Now to get access you're gonna have to meet up with Murray at the rendezvous point. Unfortunately the route through the garden is filled with guards…"

_'Blah, blah, blah.'_ Faye tapped her foot impatiently. Finally, Bentley was done and they moved on ahead. They ended up on a balcony overseeing the area where Murray came in. They just couldn't see the roof of the building. Soon, Sly came into view but Murray was absent. Bentley brought out the binocucom and said,

"Murray must've gotten lost along the way. Try pressing on ahead without him." Faye reached out and grabbed the altered binocular device.

"Hey! What are you?" Faye pried it from the turtle's hands and held him back with her foot while he stretched his arms to get his binocucom.

"Sly, this is Faye. Stay away from the middle of the room and wait for a loud 'Thunder Flop' from Murray. If you don't…well let's just say you don't want to be a raccoon pancake," she radioed. As soon as she was done, Faye heard a faint 'Thunder Flop!' from the binocucom. Faye gave the gadget back to Bentley.

"Well? Aren't we supposed to meet Sly at the rendezvous point?" said Faye. Bentley, again, led the way to the rendezvous point.

"Faye, if you don't mind, how did you know about Murray's delay?" Bentley asked her, "We couldn't see the rooftop."

_'Uh-oh!'_

"I saw Murray on our way here. And the only way for him to come down would be to use Thunder Flop," explained Faye.

"But how did you know what Murray looked like, or that he used the move Thunder Flop?" Bentley inquired again.

_'Gah! Darned it!'_ Faye blinked and answered,

"The news, and I didn't know about Thunder Flop till...well, I have my ways." She smiled as if knowing the answer to a riddle that Bentley didn't know. "I take it that's the way he reached Sly."

"Hmm… Well that's logical," said Bentley.

_'Yes! He bought it!'_

After the fiasco and almost blowing the secret, Faye and Bentley made it to the rendezvous point…with a hitch.

"Ringtail!" Faye instantly knew that Sly and Carmelita were playing Cops and Robbers. Faye and Bentley came through a door and met up with Sly and Murray in the museum's corridor.

"This wasn't part of the plan!" panicked Bentley.

"Yeah well… This is where things get fun," said Sly. The Cooper Gang and Faye ran for it with Faye and Sly in the lead.

"Last one out is Klaww crud!" called Faye.

"Stop, thief!" ordered Carmelita. Faye thought for a moment and smiled. She couldn't resist. She had to do it, even if it meant more running.

"Hey Carmelita! Where'd you learn to shoot, from a monkey?" yelled Faye smiling.

"Grr… Take this!" Carmelita shot rapidly at Faye.

"Whoa! No need to be so rash Inspector!" Faye called to Carmelita, who quite suddenly had a befuddled look on her face. The Inspector took aim and shot in front of Faye. Faye stopped just short of being shocked by Montoya's blast. The teen turned around and stared into the pit of Carmelita's Shock Gun.

"Got you," said Carmelita, slightly wavering but squeezing the trigger nevertheless. Then she fired.

"I've gotcha," said a voice. Faye was hoisted into the air, narrowly avoiding the blast. The adolescent looked up to see that Murray was carrying her.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem little buddy," he said.

_'Buddy? Is he going to call me that through the entire adventure?_' Faye sat on Murray's shoulders and jumped off. She saw the halfway point ahead.

"This is getting a little hot," said Sly, as Carmelita got closer to shooting him.

_'This is where we split up.'_

"You guys go warm up the van. I'll keep Carmelita busy," said Sly, "pick me up at the rendezvous."

Bentley, Murray, and Faye went one way and Sly went the other. Faye looked back to see that Carmelita had changed her plans. She was following _them_ now.

_'That's not supposed to happen! Must've been the comment about the monkey.'_ Faye broke off from the group and went a different direction in the winding halls of the museum. She looked back. The Inspector was still on her of all things. Why wouldn't she give u-

**Bam!**

Faye hit a dead end and rammed into the wall. Faye turned around from the wall to see Carmelita getting closer with her gun armed and ready to fire.

"Tell me who you are and where Cooper hid the Clockwerk parts!" she demanded. Faye backed up against the wall she had smacked into. Her muscles tensed, her hairs stood on end. Would Montoya fire if she said Sly didn't have them? What would she do? Faye looked around quickly. Her eyes darting every which way…then she smiled.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Carmelita turned around to see Sly Cooper.

"Cooper!" Carmelita fired her gun but Sly jumped away and she followed. Bentley and Murray came up and led the way out of the museum to the van.

_'That was way too close.'_ The trio got to the getaway van. Faye jumped into the back with Bentley. Murray started the engine and took off. Faye was thrown against the sides of the van as Murray swerved to evade the police. _'I'm gonna throw up.'_ The van finally stopped but only briefly to let Sly in. He climbed up to the front as Murray slammed on the gas petal.

"I'll find you Cooper!" shouted Carmelita as the four rode off into the night.

* * *

So how was it? I have to make up a song for Faye to sing so it may or may not me a while. I am not hinting at any Murray/Faye, Sly/Faye, or Bentley/Faye. R&R please!


	3. A New Laptop But No Sleep

Okay, we all know I don't own Sly. Big whoop. There's mention of a game in here my friend and I played on the Internet. I do not own the site or the game.

**I own Faye and any poems mentioned in this chapter. I got a poem from last year that I used for this chapter. I made it off the top of my head so it may sound corny. **

This chapter has been changed to third person PoV all the way, so no more abrupt switching in dialogue. All right, now that we're done here…on with the story!

_Note: Changed Bentley's note slightly. Hopefully it makes sense now. The word 'anthropomorphic' probably won't, but in short it's anything that is able to have human characteristics (like talking__ and walking on two legs__).  
_

_Chapter 3: A New Laptop But No Sleep_

So Sly, his gang, and Faye had just dodged Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox in the beginning museum from Sly 2: Band of Thieves. She had absolutely no idea how she got there, but she _did_ know that she was about to barf. Faye covered her mouth with both hands, turning a slight green all the while.

"Uh, Murray? You might want to cut down on the sharp turns if you don't want Faye to throw up in the van," said Bentley. Murray turned into a dark alley. They had given the police the slip…for now. _Thank you Bentley._ Faye bust open the van doors and headed for the nearest trashcan. Murray was ready to roll as soon as Faye was done losing her lunch and dinner. Sly opened his door and stepped out of the vehicle while Faye was still leaning over the trashcan. He strolled over to Faye and patted her back.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"Whenever I lose my lunch, I'm always asked the same question. The answer is always 'Yes.'" Faye got up from the trashcan and got back in the van along with Sly. Murray sped off out of the alleyway and Faye managed to not to sick again. Faye stared at the computer Bentley sat at.

_'I love computers._' But was once again thrown to the van's sides. Sly turned back to Faye and Bentley.

"May I borrow your bandanna, Bentley?" Sly asked him. Bentley looked from his computer to Sly. He had his arms crossed over the top of the seat, smirking at Bentley. Bentley started to untie his bandanna.

"What do you need it for?" he asked as he gave it to Sly.

"To blindfold Faye."

"What?"

"No offense but we need to keep our hideout a secret," said Sly.

"That's understandable," said Faye. She stumbled over to Sly's side of the van and sat down. Sly effortlessly tied the bandanna around Faye's eyes.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

It was dark and bumpy on the way to Sly and his gang's hideout. Faye kept hearing the clicking of Bentley's fingers over the keyboard, Murray eating, and Sly flipping through a book. Most likely the Thievius Raccoonus. There was a sense that they were going around in circles because Faye kept hearing the same song three…make that four times. Murray had just passed it again. It would be a while before they all got to their destination. That repetitive song was going to drive Faye nuts.

_/Thirty minutes later…/_

"Senorita…

Your eyes shine like crystals.

Senorita…

You make my life sparkle.

Senorita…" Faye had been singing the same verse of 'Senorita' for thirty minutes. Bentley had put on earmuffs, Murray clogged his ears with hotdogs but he kept eating them so he had to use earplugs, and Sly was covering his ears with his hands alone since Bentley and Murray got to the ear protection aids first. Finally, Sly couldn't handle it.

"Faye! F, Faye!" Faye stopped singing. "Do you know any other songs?" he asked.

"Hmm… I've got it!" Faye cleared her throat and said,

"Is it too late to say I love you?

Is it too late to tell you true?

Is it something we can do without?

Is it something we both knew?

It's never too late...to say what your heart feels.

It's never too late...to say what is real.

Never give up on that one glorious moment.

When destinies collide

Put differences aside

And let your heart home in.

Let your fate be sealed...

In the power of love."

"That was a poem," said Sly.

"That I just made up," said Faye.

"You're creative."

"Thanks, although I've run out of ideas." Sly took out Murray's earplugs and tapped Bentley on the shoulder so he would remove his earmuffs.

"Say Sly? Can you tell me something?"

"What about?" Sly turned back to Faye.

"About Carmelita. She seems really eager to catch you and your friends," said Faye.

"Carmelita. She's been on our tail since our first heist. She always tries to catch me but never can. I still remember the look on her face when I escaped. It was like she lost her jaw after seeing me," Sly chuckled a little.

"Yes, well, we had a good escape plan and were able to elude her," said Bentley.

"It was around then I got the team van," said Murray.

"So Faye, what about you? What thefts have you done?" Sly asked her. Faye was stunned. She didn't what to say, so she told the truth.

"Priceless artifacts, guards, criminals…among others. I've lost count," said Faye. Okay it wasn't the entire truth, but in the video game she had done it so technically she was telling the truth.

"By yourself?" asked Murray. Faye hung her head low.

"Without counting miscellaneous interruptions, yes. I've almost gotten caught a few times and almost killed," she said. The image of Carmelita almost shooting her made Faye shake a little. This was no lie; she almost _had_ died if it wasn't for Sly. And she _had_ been caught by the Inspector. There was an awkward silence that followed for a time until a certain anthropomorphic ringtail broke it.

"So, Faye," Sly said slowly, "You're a human?"

"Yeah," Faye said quietly, still having the thought of almost being killed on her mind.

"Are there others?" he asked softly, not wanting to sound aggressive or overbearing, although he did come off a bit eager. Faye, not smiling a bit, gave her response,

"Well..." she shook her head, "Look, can I just keep quiet about this until I'm ready to tell you guys?" Sly, Bentley, and Murray glanced at one another and nodded as the van came to a stop.

"Sure," Sly replied. "And would you look at that. We're here." The leader of the gang led Faye out of the vehicle and into the hideout. He then untied Faye's blindfold. She opened her eyes and gazed upon the Cooper Gang's hideout. Faye smiled widely at one thing.

"Computer!" Every little bad thing that was on her mind vanished completely. Faye rushed over to the main computer and typed up an address. In an instant, she was at an Internet website full of games. In a few clicks of a mouse, she was playing a violent game and racking up a high score. Sly, Bentley, and Murray came over to the computer. It looked like a school was under attack by…Goth kids? Bentley pushed the chair away from the computer.

"What the…?" Faye watched as her character died onscreen.

"The computer is not for horseplay," said Bentley. Murray picked Faye up and took her to another room. It was small but it had a bed, a table, a light, a laptop, a chair, a closet…

"A laptop!" Faye hopped off Murray and grabbed it. It was night black with silver edges. A small tag was on it with a small symbol and the letters 'T' and 'N' were barely visible in the corner. Some typed writing was on it.

'To Faye,

I hope you don't mind that I got it off Thiefnet. Being a hyperactive adolescent I figured that you would appreciate something to keep you busy, especially since I saw you eyeing my computer earlier and Thiefnet is notorious for it's quick delivery system. Enjoy and please leave my computer alone.

Bentley.'

Faye ran back into the main room just after reading the tag. She made a beeline for Bentley and hugged him. To her it was seriously weird hugging a turtle and it had her wondering if anyone had ever tried it before.

"Thank you, thank you…" she squeezed hard. It was still weird hugging a turtle. A talking turtle that coughed out,

"You're welcome." Faye finally stopped hugging him when she saw that he was currently having a hard time breathing, his neck mistakenly being held a little too tightly. She put down Bentley and said,

"Oops! Sorry." The brainiac coughed, getting some much needed oxygen back in his system. He coughed.

"It's alright," he said. "I'm fine." Faye shyly backed out of the room, trying to smile a bit before disappearing off to her room. Faye hooked up her new laptop to the Internet and started to play on the same website as before.

_/Sixty hours later…/_

"Sly you've got to do something," said Bentley, "Faye has been on that laptop for two and a half days straight!"

"Has she eaten?" asked Sly.

"Yes, but only when Murray brings food to her," said the turtle. Sly pondered for a moment and called Murray.

"Say Murray? Can you make a sandwich for Faye?"

"Sure Sly. Which type of sandwich do you think she'll want?" Sly smiled that Cooper smile as he whispered something to the pink hippo.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye turned the volume of her laptop down to a low resonance and snuck to her bedroom door. It sounded as if Sly and the others were planning to put sleeping pills in her next meal, so when Murray left and Sly and Bentley returned to the computer, Faye slipped out of her room and into the kitchen area. Murray was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The teenager's eyes set upon one sandwich in particular with a little flag in it labeled 'Faye's Sandwich.' That was probably the one with the sleeping pills.

"Hmm… I seem to have run out of bread," said Murray. He turned around to get more and that's when Faye slinked in, switched the sandwiches around, and tiptoed back to her room.

_'I wonder if Sly noticed me? Hope not.'_

Faye sat down quietly in her room and resumed to type quickly in at an instachat website. She had given herself the nickname "Destiny'sFate" and she was chatting with someone named "StableKayla." She excitedly typed down about her new laptop when StableKayla mentioned something about a Sing-Off at Dimitri's Nightclub. Though, it was getting late and both had to logged off the chat room just as Murray came in with the sandwiches. She logged onto Thiefnet and started looked for an animal costume so she wouldn't stick out too bad.

"Want one?" Murray offered Faye a sandwich.

"Sure!" Faye took a sandwich and so did Murray. Faye bit into her sandwich and kept flipping through web pages. Murray looked at her search. After a while, Murray fell to the ground asleep.

"Don't mess with Faytin," Faye whispered as she continued to search for a costume. Finally, she found one.

"Wow… It's a striped, orange cat costume! 'Full body costume. Comes with retractable claws and mask. Great for parties or April Fools' Day. Comes with complimentary T-shirt: size M, red with blue emerald in center, and jeans: size 16 regular. 200 coins.' I don't have that kind of money!" A pair of hands suddenly held Faye and a rag was put near her nose.

'Goodnight, Faye' was all she heard as she fell into a deep sleep. Sly removed the rag and put it on the table next to bottle marked 'chloroform'. He lifted Faye from her chair onto her bed and ambled back to the laptop. He took a look at what Faye was trying to search for.

"Cat costume?" Sly looked at the plate of sandwiches and grabbed one for himself. He glanced at Murray and said to no one in particular, "Poor Murray. Didn't even know she came into the kitchen." Sly took a bite of the sandwich and left the room.

* * *

Part three of Sly as a Cooper is finished! In case you're wondering, Faye was taken to the hideout in The Black Chateau chapter. Sorry if anyone was out of character or if the story seemed to drag on. I don't want to jump ahead to the first bad guy without Faye's roll in it. Also, the instachat website was supposed to have _dialogue_ in this chapter, but I'm prohibited from putting anything in the format of any instachat place in fanfics (or manuscript form, whatever you want to call it). I'll be putting things that would normally not be in the game, like time fillers as shown in this chapter. Well that's all I got for now. I have other characters lined up that I might use but that's a maybe. As always please review.


	4. Beginning The Black Chateau

Stuff in _Italics_ are Faye's thoughts.

_Note: Anyone can get a high score on a game. In fact, multiple people can get the exact highest score on a game. So, no, Faye did not surpass everyone in the fake game mentioned. Oh, and there's a reason Faye adapts quickly in this chapter, but that will be revealed at a much later time. Thank you._

**Disclaimer:** I do **not **Sly Cooper.

_Edit: Found out that it's "kinetic aesthetic," not "kinetic ekistic." D'oh! ...Well how was I supposed to know? There weren_'_t any subtitles and the word processor didn't help. Also, the 'simple song'...well, I've been able to play a few notes of it...It's supposed to be "Simple and Clean" but I can't really say it since I may get in trouble for it.  
_

_Chapter 4: Beginning the Black Chateau  
_

**Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!**

_'When are they going to find Dimitri?'_** Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!** Faye thunked her head against the side of the wall near Bentley's computer, being very, very bored.

"Why don't you go on that site you like? Brigand, right?" Sly asked Faye. Faye stopped thunking her head and looked to Sly.

"I've done it all."

"Safecracker?"

"Highest score."

"Thieving games?"

"Finished."

"What about instachat?"

"My only buddy said she's going offline for a while and won't be back on till the day after tomorrow."

"Thiefnet?"

"The only thing I want there is 200 coins which I _don't_ have." Faye resumed thunking her head against the wall. Murray came up to Faye and stopped her from getting a concussion by positioning his hand between Faye's head and the wall.

"Please stop Faye. You're giving me a headache," said Murray. Faye stopped thunking her head and rubbed it. She turned her momentary attention towards the computer. Dimitri's profile was displayed on it.

"How'd you guys get a hold of Dimitri's profile?" Faye asked them.

"I had to call in a few favors to get the goods on the Klaww gang's local operator," Sly explained, "Dimitri, a sort of underworld celebrity; equally at home in high-class art circles and shady back alley crimes. He was once a passionate young art student who worked hard to develop his own visionary style. Unfortunately the art world wasn't quiet ready for his kinetic aesthetic. So he gave them what they wanted and started forging old masterpieces, his way of punishing those with bad taste. Dimitri now owns a nightclub on the west side. The thumping music, the colorful lightshows, and a hint of danger lure in sheik, young patrons from far and wide. And it's here, hidden somewhere, where we'll find the Clockwerk Tail Feathers. What Dimitri wants with the Clockwerk parts is beyond me but those plans end tonight."

"This sounds like something from the Fiendish Five from two years ago," Faye commented as she looked at Dimitri ugly face on the monitor. The Gang peered up at her for a moment, but none said a word as it would have related to her life and she would tell them about it when she was ready to.

"But this time, we're going to destroy the Clockwerk parts for good," said Sly. Murray tightened his gloves, Bentley cocked his crossbow, and Sly grabbed his cane. Faye was the only one without a weapon of some sort. She stared at the ground, disappointed that she would miss out on the fun.

"This came in the mail for you, Faye," said Murray, handing her a square, brown, unmarked package. Faye grabbed the package and wobbled a bit.

"This is a little heavy," she said. Faye put the package on the floor and saw that it was firmly taped shut.

"Let me help you with that," said Sly. He sliced away the tape on the package with his cane. Faye lifted the flaps of the box and peered inside. Her eyes widened.

"This is…the same costume from Thiefnet…" Faye brought out the attire and immediately put it on. She looked just like a stripped orange cat. Faye looked at herself and jumped with excitement. She ended up hitting the ceiling.

"Ow! What the?"

"The costume gives you a higher jumping power I assume," said Bentley.

"That…is…so…cool!" Faye had the urge to jump but instead she calmly asked, "Who's idea was it to get the costume? I didn't even tell anyone about it."

"It was me…" Faye instantly had Sly in a bear hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Faye quickly shouted.

"You're welcome," Sly managed to get out. Faye had quite a grip on Sly and it took Murray to get her off him. He actually sweated trying to pry her off. Sly dusted himself off and smiled.

"Glad you like it."

Sly exited the hideout and so did Faye. Bentley and Murray stayed behind till they were needed. Sly used his cane to climb the rail to the rooftop. Faye gaped at the height she had to climb. With some curiosity about her new costume, Faye grabbed the same rail Sly did and attempted to scale it. To her amazement, she was able to ascend with ease. She got to the rooftop and spotted Sly with his binocucom out. She crept around beneath Sly's view and jumped up in front of his binocucom.

"Ha!" she shouted. Sly then let out a yelp. Faye had caught Sly by surprise. His scream made Bentley scream and Bentley's scream made Murray scream. Faye heard multiple screams from the binocucom. She burst out into a string of laughs as Sly fell on his side. Faye laughed so hard that she turned red and fell to the ground.

"Ha… I…I got you! I got the Master Thief! Ha, ha!" Faye kept laughing and was turning a slight blue. "Can't breathe…Sides hurt…can't stop laughing!" Faye kicked her legs into the air, still laughing. Sly got up with a little help from his cane.

"That wasn't funny!" came Bentley's voice from the binocucom.

"I'm…I'm sorry Bentley and Murray. I only meant to surprise Sly," said Faye, calming down.

"Come on Faye, we need to do recon for Bentley," said Faye. Sly ran on ahead, jumping to the next roof. Faye followed behind but stopped short at the ledge. She could hardly see it in the dark and almost fell. Faye straightened herself out and looked down. She could break a leg if she missed the next roof and the resulting scream would attract the guards. That would be a bad thing since the guards would most likely kill her. Faye quavered with dread and gulped. She took a few steps back and did a running start before she jumped.

Time seemed to slowdown as Faye made the jump. A warthog guard marched underneath her and stopped to sniff. The adjacent rooftop got closer and closer as Faye plummeted downward. _I'm actually gonna make it!_ Faye saw the rooftop's edge beneath her. Sly was waiting, twirling his cane with one hand below. All of a sudden, the roof was at Faye's eye level and there was no car below her. Faye cringed and shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable impact of the cement to break her bones. But it didn't come. Faye opened one eye and looked down. The guard had moved on. She opened her other eye and looked up. Sly had grabbed her right arm and hand before she fell. Time resumed its normal flow as he pulled Faye up to the rooftop.

"Maybe you should come back to the hideout," Bentley said through the binocucom. Faye got up and caught her breath.

"No. I hate giving up. I'll keep going," said Faye. She walked forward and hit another roadblock. _Oh man!_

"Great, the Rail Walk," Sly walked up to Faye and she continued, "The gun slinging Tennessee Kid Cooper's specialty was the Rail Walk and the Rail Slide. Moves perfected through a lifetime of thefts in the old west."

"Now how would you know that?" Sly asked her, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"I read the Thievius Raccoonus," answered Faye.

_'He knows I read it, the sneaky raccoonus. ...So, why didn't he stop me?_' Sly gave another inquiry,

"Do you know how to perform it?"

_'Oh… Tough question.'_

"No, I don't," said Faye. She hung her head low, embarrassed that she knew the move in her world but not in Sly's. The Master Thief ambled over to the rope.

"Let me show you," he said. Sly grabbed Faye's left hand and jumped up to perform the Rail Walk. He spun around once, made Faye a little dizzy, and landed on the rope. Faye also landed on it but not as graceful and lost balance. Sly caught her and helped her balance by placing his arm around her back. He held her steady by placing his right hand around her right side.

After a few moments of losing balance, Sly slowly let go of Faye. She wobbled a bit and finally was able to stand on the rope without any help.

"Now try to walk across the rope," said Sly. Faye put one foot forward and managed to not fall off the rope. She kept walking forward faster and faster until she was running across the rope.

"I know how to Rail Walk! I actually know it!" Faye half-shouted. She ran to the other end of the rope and met up with Sly.

"Thanks Sly," she said.

"Sly! Get a move on! We have to sabotage those satellites!" Bentley was anxious as he communicated to Sly.

"Don't worry Bentley, we'll get to it," said Sly. Faye and Sly raced off across the bridge connecting one roof to another. Sly looked through his binocucom and stared at the satellite on the water tower. It amazed Faye that he did not even touch a holographic marker, though she knew that it was different from the game and Sly already knew what he had to do. Sly took a running jump towards the pipe on the side of the water tower and grabbed it with his cane near the halfway point. Faye decided to take it easy and laid down on the roof across from the water tower and gazed at the stars. An incredibly bright light zoomed overhead, completely blocking out the stars from Faye view. Sly leapt from above and proceeded to the next satellite.

_'It's amazing how no one notices the beam of light right above them. Might as well get to the wine cellar for Breaking and Entering.'_ Faye got up and ran from rooftop to rooftop, but there was a problem.

"Where do I go again? Darn it! I guess I'll just have to follow Sly." Faye quickly found Sly as he sabotaged the last satellite. Before she could ask him where the next job was to take place, Sly was on the move again. Faye just followed him, since she forgot where the next mission was.

Faye and Sly reached the wine cellar and met up with Murray. Faye walked a few steps further than Sly and leered at the rats. Her cat costume's tail swung furiously. She filtered out Murray and Sly voices and flashed her claws. Sly heard her costume's claws come out and looked at them.

"Faye?"

"Let me at 'em," she growled, "I love mindless destruction and this will be the first time I ever take on a guard." Murray put his hands on Faye's shoulders and shook her a bit. With his strength, it had to be a bit

"What?" she asked him.

"No claws," said Sly.

"But…"

"No."

"Then what's my weapon going to be?" Sly looked around and headed over to a barrel then came back with a piece of metal.

"A crowbar? ...Okay," said Faye. She took her new weapon and ran in with Sly and Murray to fight the rats. Faye was the first one to strike and whacked the rat in the shin. The rat howled in pain and Faye finished it off with an overhead whack.

"Way too easy. Yet, I feel a little sorry for him." More rats came into the room. One of them, she noticed, had a flamethrower, one had a baseball bat, and one had a mace. Faye eyes widened,

"I take it back." Murray took the one with the bat, Sly took the one with the flamethrower, and Faye took the one with mace. Murray easily took out the guard with a few punches. Sly jumped up to avoid the flame and thwacked the rat. But Faye was having a little problem. The rat she was dealing with kept swinging the mace and Faye couldn't get close so did something simple.

"Look! Money!" Faye pointed to Murray who was behind the rat. The rat turned and got a double whammy of Murray's punch to the stomach and Faye's crowbar to its head.

"Don't mess with Faytin," she said. Murray, Sly, and Faye walked over the rat bodies to the closed off fence. Murray lifted the gate switch up with ease. Sly double jumped over the fence, leaving Faye behind…but not for long. Faye took a running leap and vaulted over the gate by placing her hands on the rail and jumping over.

"Leapfrog never had a purpose till now," she chuckled. She ceased once she saw what was ahead.

"Lasers. It just _had_ to be lasers," said Faye. Sly sauntered over to the lasers and waited. Faye followed his lead and when there was an opening, the two ran through the brief aperture. Faye looked on a head to see lasers…lots of them.

"A barrier of lasers passing over a table that can make for a tight fit to get past security," stated Faye, "The answer's obvious." While Sly was receiving information on how to get past the lasers, Faye dropped down to the ground and crawled under the long table. Sly repeated Faye's actions and joined her on the other side.

_'And it goes on and on like this for a while.'_ Faye and Sly came across a flashlight guard and several long tables and snuck past the oaf by crawling under the tables. They then came to another guard and passed him with the "Table Maneuver," as Faye called it. Then came the tricky part. Sly and Faye had to pass some lasers then Sly would have to take out a flashlight guard. Faye stayed behind as Sly took him out, then she moved on. The two crawled through a vent and, that's right, came across more guards.

"Crow's ready, Sly!" Faye pulled out her faithful crowbar, now dubbed 'Crow.'

"You think you can pull off the stealth move?" Sly asked her. Faye's eyes widened. If she failed, guard city. If she succeeded, guard city. But she had Sly with her. She had backup. Faye waited as a rat came by, then she snuck behind it. Faye put all her strength into Crow and lifted the rat into the air, barely. Faye hooked Crow into the rat's belt and slammed him down on the ground. The rat didn't move. _I did it!_ Faye was about to strike a pose when she remembered the other four rats.

"Cripes." Faye and Sly teamed up on each rat. Faye would do an Overhead Slam and Sly would whack them with his cane. When all the rats were knocked out, Faye went up to the piano and started to play a few notes to a simple song.

"Knock it off Faye," said Sly.

"I can't help it! I love to play it." Faye wound up Crow and struck the closed vent, opening it.

"Come on Sly," said Faye. She crawled through the vent followed by Sly.

Sly and Faye emerged in the Counterfeit Room. Faye spotted a piece of broken metal on the ground and grabbed it. She started to carve things into the crowbar like: 'Crow's Gonna Kick Your Butt,' 'FTD,' and 'Don't mess with me.' She watched as Sly brought out his binocucom and took photos of the room. Faye put the scrap metal away and stared at Dimitri. He was ugly with a capital "U." Trash looked better than him. Faye's eyes twitched as the lounge lizard walked along the catwalk. Sly took the final picture and said,

"Come on. We've got to go back to the hideout."

"Nah. I'll catch up to you later," she said. Faye watched Sly leave via air vent and got out her trusty friend Crow. Faye paused and waited as Dimitri turned around then threw Crow. Faye kept her eye on the crowbar as it hit the back of Dimitri's head, made him dizzy and fall off the catwalk, bounced off, hit the machine which made it stall, hit several sides of the wall, and landed back in her hand.

"Don't mess with Faytin!" Faye shouted in a deep voice. She quickly escaped through the air vent before Dimitri got a glimpse of her. When Faye got to the other side, she looked at her watch.

"Time for the Contest." She ran off to enter.

Dimitri got up a bit stunned and looked on the side of the machine Crow had hit. In fact, the crowbar hit the counterfeiting machine so hard that it left an impression of the words that were on it. Dimitri read it backwards.

"DTF? What spaz is declared as DTF? You spaz! I'll mess you up spaz!" Dimitri glanced at his digital watch. 9:53 P.M. The competition was about to begin.

"Time is scat," Dimitri muttered and he walked off towards his nightclub.

* * *

Chapter four has come to a close! I bite at action scenes. Sorry if was a little boring with Faye learning the Rail Walk, but again I didn't want any plot holes and have her suddenly learn something without any explanation. And yes, Dimitri's lingo was supposed to be messed up. He hasn't learned to 'swing the bat' when it comes to grammar. As I have said before, there will be no Sly/Faye, Murray/Faye, or Bentley/Faye. They are just really good friends and that is all. I don't know if I can stress that enough. And there is a power up for Sly to speed up (not slowdown) time; you just have to find it. Please review! Flames will be ignored and used for lighting Neyla's butt on fire!

Faye's outfit: black shirt and dark blue sweats. Alternate: red shirt with blue emerald in the center and blue denim jeans.

Her cat costume: looks like an orange-striped house cat with first set of above clothing.


	5. The Contest

Hello! I'm back again! So did you like the two last chapters? If not, please note that this chapter revolves around the competition mentioned in previous chapters. So what's it _really_ about? You'll see soon enough.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sly. I don't know who came up with "All your base are belong to us" but I don't own it.

I own the song mentioned. I made it when I was thinking for a song (since I couldn't use my original plan) and this is what you get.

_Chapter 5: The Contest  
_

Faye dusted herself off in front of the nightclub's entrance. Sly had probably given the reconnaissance photos to Bentley already and they were now planning the theft of the Clockwerk Tail Feathers. Faye walked up to the double doors and was blocked by a warthog guard and a leather guardrail.

"Invitation please," he said in a gruff voice.

"I'm here for the contest," said Faye. The guard snorted on her, making Faye's face wet. He glared at her and said,

"Who sent you?" Faye kept a firm face even with snot on her.

"StableKayla," she responded. The guard grinned and lifted the leather guardrail.

"Welcome to Dimitri's Nightclub," said the guard. Faye opened the doors and stepped into the club. Pounding music, colorful lights, and a hint of danger… It was just as Sly as said. Dimitri's Greasy Sweet song was pounding like Thor's hammer on iron. But there was something else there. A certain smell like cinnamon and pepper together filled her nostrils.

_'That is one funky smell. It must be the spice.'_ Faye spied a lone sign on her right that read: "Singing Idol Competition - This Way" Faye followed the sign's directions and walked down a corridor with many doors with stars on them.

Faye emerged in the backstage of a theater.

_'Didn't Sly come through here to get the Crystal Keys?_' Another warthog guard came up to Faye.

"You here for the contest?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Who sent you?"

"StableKayla." The guard led Faye over to a large computer. Something only a rich person could afford. It was the king of computers, towering over Faye and the guard.

"Pick a song from the bank and wait your turn," said the guard. He gave Faye a microphone to put over her ear and left to once again guard the doorway. Faye cycled through several songs.

"Junk, rap, no words, not enough words, too many words, too fast a beat, theme songs, and…keep going… Ugh!" Faye grunted in frustration. "None of these songs work! What's this? 'Choose music for custom song.'" Faye smiled. "Alright, I just click and there!" A registration screen came up and Faye filled it out; her name as Destiny, the song as "Future," and added "All your base are belong to us" in the rest of the blanks.

"Ok?" Faye read what was onscreen and clicked it. As she did, a computer voice said,

"**Destiny** **please go on stage after** **Rexus**." Faye looked around for another person. Faye felt someone tap her shoulder and whirled around. A lean, rather, tall dog overlooked her. He was a golden retriever who wore baggy, rapper-type clothes. He had a red sweatshirt and blue sweats.

"Destiny, eh?" he said.

"I take it you're Rexus?" inquired Faye.

"Yeah. I'm singing a rap I made up. Which one are you doing?"

"You'll see," said Faye.

"**Welcome to Sing Off. First up, Rexus. Step up and show us your bling!**" said the computer. Rexus walked off towards the stage and Faye thought up an act for her song.

"Yo, yo, yo! Tyrano Rexus is in the hizzouse!" shouted Rexus. Sounds of 'We love you Rexus!' and 'Show us your stuff!' were heard as Rexus took the microphone in his ear and turned it up full blast. Rapper music played in the background and he rapped,

"Yo mo name is T. R. Exus.

Listen to me as I rap this.

I'm pretty strong, you shouldn't mess

With a D-A-W-G. Confess

To me that you are here today.

T. R. Exus is here to stay!" The crowd cheered.

"Born on the streets of Pierre

I come to you and invite.

If you were me and I were you

Would you want to rap or fight?

It weren't funny; it weren't good

As the coppers came down to my hood.

There was shooting, there was death

I felt the coldness of ruin upon my neck.

But I made it out of the shelling

And now I'm here and telling

All of you here tonight

Be grateful for your heart's truth and might." Rexus ended and the crowd was quiet. Then one member yelled out,

"What is this?" There was cussing as he was booed off stage.

"I thought it spoke of truth. Nothing these guys will ever know," remarked Faye.

"Thanks. It's good to know at least one person knew what I was rapping about," said Rexus. He walked off and grabbed a seat.

"**Destiny, step up and show us your bling!**"

"I swear that sounds like Dimitri," muttered Faye. She put on the ear microphone and marched out on stage. The song started with a mid-tempo with a guitar, snapping, and other effects then it sounded like someone hit a drum. After the intro was done, Faye sang,

"Over the past fortnight I have been," Faye pointed to herself,

"Seeing something that should not be seen," the lights above made strange designs around Faye as she went on,

"I'm having crazy visions I cannot describe," she twirled her finger near head for a moment to indicate craziness,

"So I want to tell you now; I'll try to scribe," Faye pointed to the audience,

"Future…" Dark lighting surrounded Faye and her voice echoed, and it would happen throughout each chorus,

"That's what I see.

Future…

What could it be?

Future…

It isn't too far.

Future…

To see is my art.

I got to tell you all about this prophecy.

It could affect the world along with you and me," Faye pointed to the audience then to herself.

"I see a traitor lurking around the bend," she curved her hand to indicate a bend.

"I see a friendship broken that has to be mend," she put her hands together in fists and pulled them roughly apart.

"A plan of dominance is foretold

But a design to foil it has been unfold," she made her right hand into a fist.

"Future…

That's what I see.

Future…

What could it be?

Future…

It isn't too far.

Future…

To see is my art.

Seeing the future isn't so bad.

You can see what's to happen and what's to be had.

I've seen the rise of a righteous band," Faye brought her right hand up,

"And the fall of a 'prestigious' man," she brought her right hand back down.

"I've seen the destruction of a wicked bird

But you wouldn't believe it if you heard.

Because the future can be hard to believe

But the time has come close for my prophecy's eve.

Future…

That's what I see.

Future…

What could it be?

Future…

It isn't too late.

Future…

I'll try to change Fate…

So here we are at presage's door," Faye put her hands up in front of her.

"Can't tell when it's going to open for sure," she brought her hands down.

"But one thing's clear and I can tell you this:" she put up her right index finger.

"The future's one thing you don't want to miss

Cause when the chance comes around," she put her finger down.

"You don't want to look it down.

Future…

That's what I see.

Future…

What could it be?

Future…

It isn't too far.

Future…

To see is my art…

Future…

That's what I see.

Future…

What could it be?

Future…

It isn't too late.

Future…

I'll try to change Fate…" The lights went back to normal as Faye carried out the last note and ended her song. The crowd applauded and some even whistled.

"I think we have a winner," said a voice. Faye's eyes became saucers then reverted back. From the shadows came the purple lizard she had seen earlier.

_'**Dimitri!** Don't twitch. Don't twitch. Don't twitch._' Faye crossed her arms. The Lounge Lizard came up with the five thousand coins and a gold trophy.

"You showed us your bling. What is your name?" asked Dimitri. Faye smirked and said with a street accent,

"My name is Des-tan-ay, y'all! Cause it's my destiny to rock out loud!" Faye pumped her fist into the air and the crowd cheered wildly. Dimitri gave Faye the prize and held her hand up.

_'He's touching my hand! He's touching my hand. I do not like this. He's still touching my hand.'_ Faye waved farewell to the audience and left the nightclub. She ambled nonchalantly to the bay, immediately dipped her hand into it, and sighed,

"I hate lizards, now and forever." **Flop, slap. Flop, slap.** Someone walked up behind Faye. She turned to see…

"Rexus!"

"You did good," he said. Faye grabbed her trophy.

"Here," Faye handed the trophy to Rexus, "You deserve it. I wasn't that good. Those people wouldn't know real talent if it slapped them in the face and said 'Hey! I'm talent!'"

"But…"

"No. You take it. I only entered for fun."

"Thanks," said Rexus and he walked off. Faye sighed and looked above to see Sly jumping from the nightclub window where 'Theatre Pick Pocketing' occurred. Faye's eyes widened.

"He didn't. No way." Faye abandoned her sack of coins and jumped on the nearest overhang onto the rooftop. Sly was heading towards one of the satellites.

"Neyla… So he already turned off the security to the printing press," Faye said under her breath. She followed Sly, staying one roof behind. Faye hid behind the corner next to the satellite.

"Hold it Cooper!" it was Neyla.

_'If only I could wring her neck!'_

"Constable Neyla, another police woman hot on my tail," said Sly.

"Please, I led you here," said Neyla.

_'Stupid conscience! I wish it wasn't so strong!'_

"So that Klaww Gang slip up was a clue…why are you helping me out?"

_'So she can have the Clockwerk parts for herself!'_

"I'm not as black and white as Carmelita. I know what a menace those Clockwerk parts are and I don't want the likes of the Klaww Gang putting them to use."

_'Cause you want them!'_

"So what, it takes a thief to catch a thief?"

_'Wish I could catch her…in a net of spikes!'_

"Something like that. But if I'm going to trust you in this case I need to know that you can keep up…literally."

"Literally?"

"Don't fall behind."

_'Don't worry, I won't.'_ Sly and Neyla raced off, jumping to the ground. Faye clinched her fists and chased after them. She ran and jumped from the two-story building and landed on the ground, the cat costume somehow keeping her from breaking any bones. She kept sprinting, continuing to follow her friend and enemy through the streets. Faye was blinded by her anger of Neyla so much, she didn't notice that she had run into three guards and was keeping a good pace behind Neyla and Sly. She even did the Rail Walk without fail. _'Wait a minute. If I reveal Neyla's identity and purpose who knows what'll happen?' _Faye finally saw the closed off passageway where the mission ended.

"I'll let you get away, for now," Faye uttered. Faye walked back to the hideout and cursed herself for such a robust conscience.

* * *

So I got a little lazy in this chapter. Big whoop. Go see my lawyer. I bite at action scenes _and_ rapping. But don't worry; there will be no more rapping. Till the next chapter…

Edit/note: The whole 'oh she did the Rail Walk without fail' thing relates to two things. One is obvious: she was blind with anger. People do things with reckless abandon when upset, even completing things once thought difficult. Reason two, the cat costume helps keep her balance. As a costume-less human she wouldn't be able to do the Rail Walk or even stand on a tightrope without years of practice. So yeah, it helps out quite a bit.


	6. Operation: Thunder Beak is a Go!

Welcome back viewers! Sorry it took so long to get this up. You have no idea how sorry I am. Darn computer! I had…problems. Ahem! And in case you forgot, Faye still has on her cat costume on. I don't own Sly, Sucker Punch does. Faye's first person PoV has been switched to third. _Stuff in Italics is Faye's thought._ **Stuff in bold is stuff said by Faye and someone else at the same time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper or Dance Dance Revolution. **

_Chapter 6: Operation: Thunder Beak is a Go!  
_

Faye had decided to walk around a bit before going back to the hideout. She needed to calm herself down.

_'Neyla is such a dodo head! Why did I let her get away?'_

"Darn conscience," she muttered. She sat down on the plaza fountain and put her chin on her left hand. Faye crossed her legs and rested her right hand on them. She watched as a rat guard passed her and scratched his butt. The next thing Faye knew, the ground shook violently as a shockwave vibrated across the Nightclub. She was thrown into the fountain and came up drenched. She jumped out of the fountain with one thing in mind: Bentley had smashed the disco ball. Faye shook herself off and got the rat wet.

"Oh...Sorry," she apologized. Faye ran back to the safehouse.

"Cold. Cold. Stupid water. I had to be next to the fountain when Disco Demolition went down," Faye mumbled on her way there. She ran up the ramp to HQ and bust open the door. Sly and Murray stared at her from the table. There stood Faye, breathing heavily in her realistic, orange-striped cat costume, wearing her yellow shirt with a red heart on it and blue denim jeans, dripping wet from head to toe in the doorway. Sly and Murray kept staring and suddenly erupted with laughter. Murray guffawed and leaned on his chair, almost falling over. Sly covered his eyes with his hands and just kept laughing.

"What…what…what happened to…to you Faye?" asked Sly who kept laughing. Faye looked at herself and said,

"I took an unexpected swim in the fountain." They started to calm down and stopped altogether once Bentley came in. He set up a projector and said,

"Okay fellas, the dominoes are all in place. Time to pull off the big heist. First, Murray will help me break into the old water tower. From there, I should be able to shut down the plaza fountain. Dimitri's sure to send someone out to get the repair truck. Sly, you'll pickpocket the truck keys off this guy once he shows up, then hand them off to me and Murray in the plaza. There will probably be more than one guard out there, so you're going to have to distract them, Faye. We'll go steal the truck while Sly climbs to the top of the Nightclub's peacock sign. When you're in position, Murray will fire the truck's winch line up to you and we'll use it to pull down the sign. If my calculations are correct, the impact should create an entrance to the printing press room. Then, Sly, you jump in, grab the Clockwerk Tail Feathers, and we all get the heck out of here." The projector shut off. Sly grabbed his cane, Bentley cocked his crossbow, Murray cracked his knuckles, and Faye grabbed Crow.

_'I actually get to pull off a heist with them! Yes!_' Bentley ran as fast as he could with Murray to the old water tower and Sly and Faye climbed to the rooftop.

"Come on chum, let's get to that water tower," said Murray. Faye's costume tail swung back and forth without much enthusiasm.

"Bored already?" Sly asked her.

"Nope. Just impatient," she answered. Faye tapped her foot and said,

"So…how long have you known Murray and Bentley?"

"I've known them since the Happy Camper Orphanage. That would be since I was eight years old."

"The Happy Camper Orphanage? …I get it now. The Fiendish Five incident from all those years ago; I remember it. I found out a thief beat them down. That would be you, huh?"

"Yeah. It was." Once again, the question of Faye's origin had slightly arisen, but remained unspoken.

"Did you get the Thievius Raccoonus back?" Sly looked at Faye.

"How did you…?"

"Know about the Thievius Raccoonus? A good thief keeps her ears open to everything when tides act crazy and Mesa City becomes a dog-eat-dog place, literally," Faye said to Sly.

"Sly, the water pressure to the water fountain should be disabled," Bentley said through the binocucom. Sly and Faye looked up to the fountain. Sure enough, no water was coming through it.

"It's off alright. They're already sending out the repair guy to fix it up," Sly said back to Bentley. Sly and Faye jumped to the adjacent rooftop and followed the guards: one warthog guard and two rat guards. When the guards split up, so did Faye and Sly. Sly went off to pickpocket the truck keys and Faye went after the rat guards.

_'So cold…'_

Faye jumped down to the streets below and landed in front of the rats.

"Want to catch me? Then come on ya failed lab experiments!" Faye taunted. She jumped onto the nearest car and up to the rooftop with the rats in hot pursuit. Faye glanced behind her to see that the rat guards were still chasing her.

"Is that all you got? I know a mouse that could run laps around you!" Faye laughed at the rats. The rats put more energy into tracking down Faye. They were now near the old water tower. Faye jumped to the streets and saw Murray and Bentley ahead in the plaza. Faye's claws flashed in the moonlight as she turned towards the rats. The rats stopped in their tracks. Faye jumped on one guard and threw him against a wall.

"One down…" Faye looked to the other guard and headbutted him in the adjacent wall with vigor.

"And none to go." She walked off to join the gang.

"It's all you," said Sly, handing the truck keys off to Murray and Bentley. "I need to get in position on top of the Nightclub's peacock sign for phase three." Faye watched from an alleyway close to the safe house as Sly jumped to the rooftop, jump to the edge of the Nightclub, and sidled across to get to the rail. Sly stood on top of the peacock sign and the truck came right around the corner. Murray fired the "tow-harpoon" up to Sly.

"Oh cupcakes!" he said as he missed and the hook went a foot past Sly's left.

"Try a little higher and a little to the right!" called Faye. Murray fired it again and this time Sly caught it.

"Hook's on. Pull away!" said Sly. He jumped and used Rail Slide to go down the rope.

"Sly! The guards are onto us! Protect the truck!" cried Bentley. Faye ran in and helped Sly fight. She clawed at several of them when they got near the truck then someone yelled out,

"So we're failed lab experiments, huh?" Faye turned to her left and saw the two rats she had dealt with earlier.

"Sly, can you handle these guys without me?" Faye asked him.

"Yeah. You go on," he said. Faye approached the rats. Her tail swayed back and forth. Her ears arched back.

"Let's do this," she said and jumped up into the air. Her costume allowed her to jump as high as Sly and she came down onto a rat. Her claws tore into his shirt and she threw him against the other rat. She took out Crow and whacked them across the head. Then she whacked their backs. They were motionless. Faye turned towards Sly. Guard bodies littered the ground.

"Nice work," she said, moving toward Sly. The peacock sign came down and shook the ground beneath their feet.

"Behold the majesty of gravity and inertia," said Bentley.

"**That was real subtle, Bentley**," said Sly and Faye. Sly gave Faye a weird look.

"Okay you jump in, grab the Clockwerk tail feathers, and we're out of here!" said Bentley. Sly jumped into the hole Bentley made and Faye followed after.

Down below, Sly jumped onto the glass above with Faye behind him. They were below the catwalk when they met Dimitri.

"Gah! So…Raccoonus Doodus - you're like totally bumming my house up and bringing me down. So very uncool. Why can't you let birds and bees be free, bro?" said Dimitri.

"Listen Dimitri - you have no idea what you're playing with - it'll bring more than you're house down…" said Sly.

_'His suit sucks.'_

"Look, bro. I see that you are a tough cowboy… A man with taste…style…vision…a connoisseur of fine things. Like me. Look, I'm sure that two cats in a bag like us can work something out, yeah? We smoove, yeah? Look… See the money? You like the money? You can take all you want. I can - -"

_'His suit still sucks.'_

"No deal. You and the rest of the Klaww Gang have to be stopped. Clockwerk will never again see the light of day. Just hand over the Tail Feathers and we can - -"

"What is this with clocks, bro? Have you no vision? Are you hearing what I beam to you? You think you have juice? Don't show me a little mind when talking about such big things… You think you can swing the bat? Show you're bling and let me shine you!"

_'The suckiest suit in the world.'_

"Dude! I see your mouth moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah!" said Faye.

"**I have no idea what you're saying**," Faye and Sly said together. She knew it was coming. The one line she could never get out of her head. So she joined in.

"**And your suit sucks**," Sly and Faye said together. Sly raised an eyebrow to Faye. Dimitri screamed in shock.

"Let's dance!" he said and he took off. Sly followed him while Faye climbed up to the catwalk. Dimitri started shooting red orbs of electricity at Sly.

"Careful of those orbs, Sly! If you get hit, its game over, with no continues!" Faye shouted to Sly. Dimitri fired three orbs at Sly who was behind a pillar. Dimitri short-circuited on the fourth and shook his hand in pain. He blew on his hand and looked up to see Sly whack him with his cane. Dimitri was slammed back into a barrel full of green goo.

"Ha! What's the matter Dimitri? Can't you swing the bat?" laughed Faye, pointing at Dimitri. He zoomed past Sly to the other side of the room and looked up to Faye.

"You… You're Des-tan-nay. Why you bringing me down, sis? Is it your destiny?" said Dimitri. Faye glared at Dimitri.

"Sis? I am not your sis. You need to be stopped, and _that's_ my destiny," said Faye putting her hands on her hips and smiling broadly. Sly came in and swung his cane over Dimitri's head, knocking him into a glass wall. Dimitri got up, ran towards Sly with his hand glowing, the gun barely noticeable, and struck him with an electric sphere at close range. Red streaks of electricity ran through the raccoon.

_'That never happened in the game!_' Sly fell to his knees breathing hard. Dimitri charged up another shot. Faye panicked. Sly would die if she didn't do something. That couldn't happen. That wouldn't happen! The game was called "Sly 2: Band of Thieves" not "Dead Cooper." Faye saw the orb get larger. She could just imagine the whole place in crimson after the next blast. Faye grabbed her crowbar and threw it at Dimitri. It hit his arm and the electricity was directed away from Sly, making a scorched mark by his cane. Dimitri clutched his hand and looked above then to the ground to see what hit him. He picked up the crowbar and his eyes widened.

"Spaz!" he yelled.

"Uh oh. He found my signature," Faye said to herself. Then, Dimitri was gone faster than you can say 'smoove.' Faye scanned the floor and didn't see Dimitri.

"Spaz," said a voice. Shivers went down Faye's backbone. She turned around to see the foul lizard. He punched her in the stomach. Faye stumbled backwards, lost her balance, and fell to the level below. Faye flailed her arms and legs, falling faster to the ground. She turned her body and faced the floor.

_'Huh?'_ A purple cloud of smoke was moving at a swift pace towards her. Curiosity turned to terror as she realized that it was Dimitri. He grabbed her neck with his right hand before she touched the ground and began to squeeze. Dimitri pulled back his left hand with the insane gun and a red orb formed in it barrel. Tears of fear swelled up in Faye's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Faye closed her eyes and more tears fell.

**Thwack!** Faye felt Dimitri's grip loosen. She opened her eyes to see Sly back on his feet. Dimitri growled and tossed Faye across the room into a wall. Faye blacked out. Sly watched as Faye hit the wall with a loud **crash **and fall to the ground. He turned to Dimitri and fought at close range. Dimitri swung his tail then Sly jumped over it and hit him over the head. Dimitri got mad and tried to ram Sly, but he sidestepped Dimitri and hit him several times. Sly could see Dimitri was exhausted and almost had him. Then Dimitri bulleted past Sly and shot a red orb at him, dead on. Sly fell to the floor with smoke coming from his shirt. He held his side and looked at Dimitri. Dimitri walked up to Sly with the face of a madman. A sphere of red electricity built up in Dimitri's hand. Sly couldn't move as the red orb quickly grew in size.

"Don't you hurt him!" screamed a girl's voice. Dimitri was forced forward past Sly into a glass wall. Faye had her hands out in front of her and had difficulty breathing, meaning that she had somehow regained consciousness. Sly and Faye saw Dimitri make a run for the printing press.

"Go for it," said Faye. Sly got up and snuck behind Dimitri. He charged up his cane and hit Dimitri into the printing press. Faye strolled over to the other side of it, twirling her crowbar, and watched as the Lounge Lizard fell into a barrel.

"You take Clockwerk feathers and my counterfeiting operation, it's past tense," said Dimitri.

"I'm doing you a favor. **What kind of thief prints money? …there's no honor in that**," said Sly and Faye.

"You…Cracker-Boxes! Ahh…" Dimitri passed out. Sly went over and got the Clockwerk Tail Feathers just as Bentley and Murray showed up. Faye dashed over to Bentley and Murray and somehow Sly got in there as she gave them a bear hug.

"We did it!" she cheered. Counterfeit money spewed all over the place as the printing press went haywire. Murray tapped Faye on the shoulder.

"Oops," Faye let go of the team, "Sorry. Maybe I should have hugged Dimitri." The team chuckled but was short lived as police sirens cued their exit.

"Here comes Interpol," said Faye. Sly, Murray, Bentley, and Faye escaped through a hole Bentley and Murray made that led directly to the team van. Bentley and Faye climbed in back while Murray and Sly went to the front. Murray shifted the vehicle into drive and they drove off, leaving Carmelita and Interpol behind.

Faye looked at a large sack in the van.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Oh, I found that before the heist. Bentley said it had 5,000 coins in it. Everyone gets a share of it," answered Murray. Faye hooked up her laptop and went to Thiefnet.

"What are you looking for, Faye?" asked Murray.

"A new weapon. That crowbar can only do so much," said Faye. She clicked on a few icons and a set of weapons appeared in front of her. "Too big, too sharp, not enough features, too many features, too creepy, too cute, …perfect! 'Orange staff with yellow hook for 500 coins.'" She tapped her fingers on her laptop then clicked 'buy.'

"Let's go to Monaco for a week," said Sly.

"Hmm… I could try out my new card counting formula," said Bentley.

"What about you, Faye? Do you have another job to do?" asked Sly. Faye stayed quiet for a while and took off her cat mask.

"I…don't have anywhere to go," said Faye.

"Then why don't you come with us to Monaco?" suggested Sly. Faye looked up. Her eyes were watering and a smile spread over her face.

"Really?"

"Sure."

"I've never taken a break after a heist. I always went on to the next one," said Faye.

"Monaco here we come," said Murray. The van suddenly turned and Faye crashed into the wall. It was going to be a long ride. Faye looked to Bentley. He was relaxing already and going through a deck of cards. None of them seemed worried about anything. Faye knew it wouldn't last. She sighed and logged onto the instachat network. StableKayla was back along with someone else by the name of "T-Rex." They chatted about the Contest Dimitri held. When asked, Faye steered cleared whether or not she had won the contest. Kayla had to go and Faye logged off too, taking a short nap. Boss battles take a lot out of you.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Journal Log Entry 1: First Heist With Sly and the Gang

Yep! I've finally pulled off a heist with Sly Cooper, **_the_** Sly Cooper along with Bentley and Murray. Urge…to shriek…with laughter…rising… Operation: Thunder Beak was a success and I got to fight Dimitri with Sly. Although, it wasn't like it was supposed to be. Dimitri changed his tactics and we almost didn't make it. Inspector Carmelita and Constable "Dodo" Neyla arrived on the scene and we made our escape. Anyway, I also entered a contest and met this guy named Rexus. I won 5,000 coins but I had to ditch them. Later I found out that Murray found them. Right now, Sly, Murray, Bentley, and I are in Monaco enjoying our time off. I beat _everyone_ at Dance Dance Revolution. Yeah, they've got that here too. It turns out that this was a gambling DDR to all major DDR fans. I ended up with more than 2,300 coins and I put them to good use. I bought a blue pack that straps onto my leg among other things. When I checked on Bentley, I discovered that he had won over fifty-two, _fifty-two_ games of Blackjack in under three hours. Looks like his card counting formula worked. I still feel unsettled though. I know it's going to be tough and **if you guys are reading this you are in so much trouble!** I wonder how the next heist will go? I'll just have to wait and see, even though I'm two steps ahead of the game. On a different note, I got hurt fighting Dimitri. This isn't a dream. I have to protect the Sly Cooper Gang at all costs, try to stop the dastardly traitor that lurks in the shadows, and keep the secret hidden. It's all up to me.

* * *

Yes! The Black Chateau is done! … And I still bite at action scenes! Sheesh, it's been, what, six chapters already? I might just stop putting in time fillers. Or something. I'll decide along the way. If you haven't noticed by now, Faye's costume reacts to her feelings. Not to mention the guard bodies don't just disappear. Just thought you should know. Oh, and it will be revealed how Faye got up so quickly later on in another Journal Entry. They're kind of like recaps of what happened after the heist. Please review! Flames will be used as Bunsen burners for Bentley.

P.S. Sorry if anyone was OOC.


	7. Visions? Off To India!

I do not own Sly. Sucker Punch does.

_Note: Took out the death of a guard. There was no right reaction from Faye._

_Chapter 7: Visions? Off to India!  
_

Faye walked into the train car, also known as the Sly Cooper Gang hideout. She was wearing a sky-blue T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and was not wearing her cat costume. Her pants were a bit dusty, but that's happens when you wander around nature. She yawned a bit and covered her mouth, then twirled an orange staff with a yellow hook in her hands like a baton and stepped up to the main computer. Murray was lifting a weight with his left hand and resting his right arm on top of the computer, Sly was beside Bentley smiling and holding his cane, and Bentley was, of course, at the computer looking for more Clockwerk parts. It made her wonder why they didn't just leave the Clockwerk parts here. And those Clockwerk feathers? They were smaller in person than in the game, but they cramped up the van. But before she got even half way there, an image flashed before her eyes. The Sly, Bentley, and Murray she knew disappeared. Faye's form shook a bit and a sadder Murray than she had ever known faded in to her right. He looked to his left and right and stared at the ground, as if searching for something. He continued walking and disappeared. Faye looked at the computer, where Bentley faded in, but something was wrong. He was in a wheelchair and was making some kind of modification to it with a wrench. He disappeared and Sly faded in, strapping his red pack to his leg. He picked up his cane and tapped it on the floor. Sly gave a sigh and looked around the room. Faye met his eyes, but it was like his oaken ones didn't. He picked up his hat and put it on.

"I miss 'em," he said. Sly walked towards Faye and passed right through her. She couldn't believe it. Sly faded away and the typing of computer keys snapped her back to reality. Faye turned back to her friends.

_'What was that all about?'_ She dusted herself off and peered over Bentley's shoulder.

"Has another Clockwerk part surfaced?" she asked. Sly looked at her.

"Yeah, in India," he said.

"Who's the target?" 

_'As if I didn't already know.'_

"A mysterious spice lord known as "Rajan," answered Sly. Bentley shut down the computer and walked out the door with Murray and Sly. Faye grabbed her laptop off an orange crate and followed them. She climbed into the back of the van and Murray took off.

"So what's the background on this guy?" Faye asked aloud for anyone to answer.

"Rajan's a self-made man who grew up poor on the streets of Calcutta," said Sly. "He started his life of crime selling illegal spices in the Black Market, eventually growing a small outfit to a sizable operation and earning him a seat in the prestigious Klaww Gang. He's since crowned himself "Lord of the Hills" and while he goes to great lengths to convince others of his royalty, it's mainly to convince himself."

"So what's up with his piece of the Iron Bird?"

_'Iron Bird, ha!'_

"Well true to form, he's holding a lavish ball in his newly purchased 'ancestral palace.' The reason?"

"Shoot."

"To showoff his latest acquisition: the Clockwerk Wings, the symbol of my enemy." Faye closed her eyes to imagine the Clockwerk Wings, but all that came up was a cartoon-like picture.

"If you saw the Wings silhouetted against the night sky, it was already too late for you. Especially if your name was 'Cooper,'" said Faye, reminiscing over what she had heard over and over again. Sly nodded in agreement as he continued,

"Rajan believes the Wings will bring him prestige, and maybe they will. But they're also bringing me."

"And me. I don't want to see that thing up and about _ever_ again," said Faye. For some reason, she shivered for a moment and stopped. Faye turned on her laptop and played Pinball. It was going to be a long ride.

Several hours later the van bounced like crazy, causing Faye to miss the shot and get a low score. She shut off the laptop just as everything became dark.

_'The cave they hid the van in.'_ Faye looked up and sure enough they were. Bentley exited with Faye and he came up to the mouth of a cave, the temporary safe house. Faye just stared at the river and the palace. The river shimmered in the twilight and beautifully reflected the palace on the other side. Even the elephant appeared magnificent in this setting. The trees were alive as birds rustled in the leaves. Sunlight came through the openings in the trees and lit up the ground. The dirt looked so soft as a bird hopped about and flew off above the palace.

"I never noticed…how beautiful," murmured Faye. She stood there and took it all in. Someone patted her on the back and brought her back from her hypnotic state. Faye turned around.

"Come on, Faye," said Murray. Faye followed the pink hippo into the cave. She took one more glimpse of the beauty of India and went inside.

The interior of the cave wasn't that cheerful. The only thing Faye liked was the window peering out at the palace. Otherwise, it was just an ordinary, dull, dusty cave with a table shaped rock in the middle. Bentley set up his computer and linked it to Thiefnet, Murray was eating, and Sly was doing some exercises before going to work. Faye put on her costume and blue pack that strapped to her thigh and walked out of the hideout with her cane. Sly soon came out of the safe house after Faye. She was staring at the drawbridge.

"If we can't go through…" said Sly.

"Go over," finished Faye. She took off for the waterfall and stopped before the rocks. Sly brought out his binocucom and talked to Bentley about getting over the river.

"This calls for the Ninja Spire Jump. A technique Rioichi Cooper developed while sneaking into the thickly fortified castles of Japan," stated Faye. Sly put away the binocucom and looked at Faye.

"It sounds like you've been reading the Thievius Raccoonus again," he said.

"Whenever I get the chance," smirked Faye. Indeed Faye had been reading the great book but only when Sly was asleep, which was hard considering he went to sleep much later than she did. Which would explain why she had been yawning earlier. Faye backed up from the conical rock before her and sprinted towards it. She jumped high in the air above the brook and landed on the pointed rock just fine. Then she jumped to the next one and the next. She stood proudly and grinned at Sly. He Spire Jumped right behind her and they both got to the section of land on the other side. Faye pressed herself against the rock wall and sidled along a narrow piece of land with Sly behind her. Faye got to the end and ran as fast as she could down the road to the ballroom. She held her pack in place so it wouldn't bring attention to her.

"Faye!" Sly whispered a yell. Sly had no choice but to follow Faye. Faye had slowed down a bit and Sly finally got caught up to her.

"Why did you…"

"Shh!" Faye pointed to not one, not two, but _five_ Rhino Guards and _two_ Goat Guards.

"Now what?" Faye whispered to Sly. He brought out the binocucom and Bentley's voice came out,

"It looks like you won't be able to get to the ballroom this way. Try the rooftops." Sly looked around for something to jump on to get to the rooftop above. Faye bounced on a basket and waited for Sly. She walked over to the ledge and lingered for the elephant to pass. Sly stood beside her.

"What are you waiting for?" Faye saw the elephant, Spire Jumped on it, jumped from the elephant, and landed on a branch.

"That," answered Faye. Sly repeated her actions and was now on the same branch as her.

"Now where?" she asked him. Sly jumped onto another branch and made a path for the balcony door. Faye was getting a little bored of this jumping nonsense. She just made a memory of the world reappear before her eyes and swiftly hopped to the veranda.

Inside the ballroom, Sly was already taking recon photos. Faye stood to the opening of the main room. She examined the room and her eyes befell a dirty rat.

"Neyla…" Faye's eyes blazed with fury.

_'I don't care if I change the storyline I am going after Neyla.'_ Sly eyed Carmelita and took an extra photo. Faye noticed a disturbing sound and looked through the curtains. The guards were asleep!

"Sly," Faye motioned for Sly to come over. Sly snickered and took a photo of the latent guards.

"That'll give 'em something to chuckle about," said Sly.

"So much for tight security," Bentley said through Sly's binocucom. Faye backed out of the doorway and asked Sly,

"Say Sly? Does Bentley have his computer hooked up so whatever pictures you get go directly to him?"

"Not really. The photos are stored in the binocucom and whatever I see through the binocucom, Bentley sees on his computer," answered Sly.

"Oh." Faye smiled and noticed that Sly took two photos of Neyla and another of Carmelita. She gritted her teeth and clinched her fists for a moment before Sly saw.

"That's all the photos I need. Bring them back to the safehouse and we'll start building a game plan," said Bentley. Sly left for the door with Faye. She looked at Neyla, growled to herself, and followed him out.

Faye sulked all the way back to the safehouse about Neyla the "Traitorous Dodo-Head who needed a beating."

_'Ways to hurt Neyla… Throw her off a cliff into a pit full of snakes. Replace shampoo with honey and bees. Throw Dimitri at her. Bear hug her. River Dance Stomp on her head. Make her watch 'My Little Ponies' over and over. I wonder if Bentley has a spare crossbow?'_

"Faye?"

_'Maybe I can get one on Thiefnet…'_

"Faye."

_'Or maybe a chainsaw… I could always get a flamethrower…'_

"Faye!" Faye came back to reality, or whatever, and saw that Sly, Murray, and Bentley were staring at her in the safehouse. Faye stared back.

"What? I'm contemplating," she said.

"So are we. Now…" Bentley turned on the projector and the photos Sly took earlier were shown.

"Stealing the Clockwerk Wings in the middle of a crowded ballroom is going to take some serious misdirection. And a squad of undercover cops only makes things more complicated. Although we might be able to use them to our advantage. But no matter what we do in the ballroom, sooner or later we'll need to deal with Rajan's security chopper. Murray can take it out with some of the local armaments. But he won't be able to get inside the palace until Sly lowers the drawbridge for him." The projector shut off. Sly got up and noticed that Faye was already heading out the door.

"Where you going?" he asked her. Faye stopped and said,

"Terrorize some guards. Raid if I can. Just going to get some coins really." Faye left with Sly and they split up at the drawbridge winch. Faye jumped from rooftop to rooftop and got a nice view from one of them as Sly pick pocketed the rhino guards.

"Sly Cooper, Master Thief, Hero, one Devious Thievius Raccoonus," Sly slammed the rhino guard into oblivion after stealing the key and accidentally gave the guard a wedgie, "And Wedgie Giver. Bravo," Faye said to herself. She chuckled a bit as the rhino went wide-eyed and seemed to pass out. There was no telling, really, if he was indeed passed out since the only indicator of anything wrong was a puddle of crimson soon appearing. However, Faye did not seem to notice that little detail as she turned her attention away to Sly almost immediately. She followed said raccoon by rooftops and ropes to the Guest House. She raised an eyebrow and went inside it.

Meanwhile, Sly had gathered all six keys and made his way to the locked down winch.

"I still feel bad about that guard, Bentley," he said into the binocucom.

"Just don't think about it Sly," said Bentley. "Underwear...shouldn't be able to stretch that far."

"Bentley...."

"Oh, right. Sorry," the turtle apologized. Sly reached into his pack and brought out the keys he had stolen. He unlocked the winch and let the drawbridge down. "Thanks Sly. Now Murray and I can access the palace grounds."

"So what's next?" asked Sly.

"Well you'll have to get into the ballroom. I'll tell you more once you're inside," said Bentley. Sly put away his binocucom and left for the ballroom.

* * *

And so ends Chapter Seven of _Sly as a Cooper_. Remember when I said I wouldn't be using the real dialogue? I changed my mind; I will be using the real dialogue whenever I can. I tried to put as much of "A Starry Eyed Encounter" as I could in this chapter, but couldn't fit it all. In my opinion, this wasn't a good chapter. If I could type as fast as these ideas enter my head, we'd already be past this already. Review if you want. I'm going to bug Bentley on why turtles talk.


	8. Dance Practice

Yay, finally an update! I have to start up chapter nine when I'm done with this so be patient. I've given it some thought and if I will be using the original dialogue when I need to. :) I don't own Sly. Never have, never will.

Before we begin I'd like to say that if you can't imagine Faye looking like a house cat, then imagine her looking like a tiger. That is all…

_Chapter 8: Dance Practice  
_

**Knock. Knock.** Sly stepped back from the ballroom door and a pair of eyes peered through a small opening in it.

"Hello, I'm here for the dance," said Sly. A low male voice came from the other side of the door,

"Whuh? Sorry, "Sir" but we have a dress code…you got a tux?" Sly was a little confused.

"Uh…no?"

"Sorry, pal. No tux, no entry!" The small opening shut before Sly. He took a few steps back and brought out his binocucom.

"Sorry Sly, somehow I totally overlooked the need for formal wear. That guy's not going to let you in without a tuxedo," said Bentley.

"Don't beat yourself up Bentley…at a party this ritzy there has to be spare penguin suits around here somewhere," said Sly.

"Try the Guest House, someone may have over packed." Sly was about to put away the device when Bentley said,

"Oh and Sly? Have you seen Faye? She hasn't come back yet."

"No but I'll keep a lookout for her." Sly put up the binocucom and headed for the Guest House, jumping down to the ground below and creeping across the bridge.

Sly walked into the Guest House and brought out his trusty binocucom, unaware of the figure above him on the boards.

"Okay Bentley, I'm in position inside the Guest House, have any Intel for me?" he asked the brains of the gang. The figure above Sly crouched on the beam above him.

"Ah, well, I'd recommend searching all the rooms. It's statistically probable that each should hold at least one portion of a tuxedo," said Bentley. The figure now leaned over the side of the plank smiling.

"What do I look for inside the ro**_oms_**!" Sly yelled, falling flat on his face. Some kind of weight was on his back and…laughing?

"Faye…" mumbled Sly. Faye was sitting on Sly's back, cat costume and all, laughing hard but not too hard that guards would come.

"Sly?" said Bentley.

"I found Faye," he said into the binocucom.

"You are just too easy Sly," Faye said between laughs. She got off Sly and helped him up. She gave a cracking smile to Sly.

"What have you been doing around here?" Sly asked her.

"Doing what thieves do best," she answered, still smiling, "I put two rhino guards in a coma, see?" Faye pointed to two rhino guards by the Guest House door, unconscious and bleeding a little. "I knocked a jar and snake onto each of their heads. The only guards left are in the guest bedrooms."

"Well at least she's okay," said Bentley.

"Okay Bentley, so what am I looking for inside the rooms?" Sly said into the binocucom.

"This isn't exact science; _ransack_ the place until you find part of a tuxedo," Bentley said a tad annoyed.

"Any plan which involves ransacking is okay with me," said Sly. The raccoon ran off down the left passage and Faye followed. They went to the very end of the hallway and entered the room. Inside was a rhino guard patrolling the center and a goat guard 'sleeping' near the bed. Sly snuck up behind the rhino and Faye behind the goat. In seconds the guards were in a coma.

"No wedgies this time, eh Sly?" Faye said while bashing up the closet with her cane.

_'Why'd I have to forget where the article of clothing is?_' Sly rummaged through a baggage carrier and found a tuxedo jacket. Faye was at the dresser and found an ocean blue skirt. She folded it up and put it in the pack. They exited the room and did the same thing in the others: take out the guards and ransack the place. When they were down to one room they stopped inside the entrance to it.

"Okay, I've got a ocean blue skirt, flat-heeled shoes, long gloves, and an ocean blue dress and you've got a tuxedo jacket, bowtie, gloves, and a white shirt," said Faye, keeping track of what they had so far. Sly was about to enter when Faye jerked him back by the shirt collar. She pointed to the top of the room where Rajan's bed was. Or at least, it looked liked a bed Rajan would have, but why would it be in the Guest House? It was just another mystery of the Cooper universe.

"It's most likely up there," she whispered. Faye waited outside on a chandelier while Sly went to get the shoes. She laid down on it and waited. She got bored and started saying the first thing that came to her mind.

"What happened so near that seems so long ago? Whether the twilight comes or goes, we march forward. Fate can be denied but only to a certain extent. Fore whom has the power to overthrow its word?"

"What was that about?" came a voice. Faye looked in the direction of the voice to Sly on the ground floor.

"When I get bored, I ramble. 'Nuff said." Sly walked out the door and Faye jumped down to follow.

_'What I said did have a meaning. It may seem far but it will come: the aftermath of Anatomy for Disaster.'_ Faye held back a few tears, thinking of what would come at the end of the journey. She shook the horrible thought from her head as she and Sly approached the ballroom door.

"You got your tuxedo now…'Sir?' …And a dress 'Ma'am?'" asked the doorman, opening the small door.

"Of course we do, we're here to dance," said Sly.

"Then come on in," said the doorman.

Before the ballroom was a lobby. It had three fountains, dozens of plants, stairs leading to the second level, and changing rooms. Sly and Faye changed into their formal wear and walked up the stairs. Sly wore a tuxedo with dance shoes and gloves while Faye wore an ocean blue dress with the skirt underneath, blue flat heeled shoes, and long light blue gloves. The dress went all the way down to Faye's heels, all the way up to her neck, and the sleeves stopped short a little past her shoulders. Sly and Faye walked into the main ballroom. Sly had his right hand placed on his hip and Faye tried not to cross her arms like she normally would. Bentley's voice came from the binocucom as Sly straightened his bowtie,

"Your tuxedo and dress disguises are working perfectly; no one will recognize you in those outfits. Now, during the heist Sly will need to dance with Carmelita to keep both her and the crowd distracted. The only problem is she's picky about dance partners so you'll need to impress her first." Sly and Faye walked down the stairs but Faye stopped halfway with her left hand on the rail.

"Neyla…" Faye dug her claws into the handrail, effectively making a deep gash in the finish.

"I'm just going to sit this out." Sly nodded in recognition and said to Bentley,

"Alright, I know just the girl for the job." He put away the compact binocucom and walked across the room to Neyla. Faye gritted her teeth but stopped, knowing she could blow the heist if she didn't keep her cool.

"I'll keep my temper down, for the Gang's sake," she said to herself. Faye walked down the stairs to the ground floor and made sure she was in earshot of Sly and Dodo-head.

"Constable Neyla you look lovely this evening," said Sly. Faye wanted to barf but held it in.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" Neyla asked the thief.

"I used to chase after you back in Paris."

_'So did I. She's lucky I have a strong conscience.'_

"Paris? … Sly Cooper?! You aren't by any chance here to turn yourself in? Old Ironsides would fall out of her dress."

"As good as that sounds, how about a dance first?" Sly held out his hand to offer the dance. Faye couldn't believe she was letting this happen. But if the heist were to go as planned, she would have to let Neyla dance with Sly. How else would he learn to dance, from Murray?

"Enchante," said Neyla, taking his hand. Faye solemnly watched as the two danced. Faye crossed her arms a bit and sighed. She could do nothing to stop it.

"Try to memorize the steps," said Neyla.

Step…step…step…

_'Fate can be denied…'_

Step…step…twirl…

'_But only to a certain extent…'_

Twirl…step…turn head…

_'Fore whom has the power…'_

Twirl…step…twirl…

_'To overthrow its word?_ _I do…'_

"Are you using me to get at Old Ironsides?" Neyla asked Sly.

"Yes, I am…do you mind?" he said.

"Not at all," said Neyla in a comforting voice. They continued to dance and Faye continued to watch. A tear slid down her cheek. It was a trap. Neyla would betray them all. Faye wiped away the tear with her glove and watched. Sly was graceful at dancing. Faye looked to her left and saw Jean Bison and Rajan conversing. Faye held back a small twitch and turned away.

_'I don't like tigers. The last one I met almost took my arm off at the zoo. It might've wanted my roast beef sandwich but that's beside the point. At least there are only two levels with him.'_

"Excuse me miss," said a deep, elegant voice. Faye turned her head to the left and there stood Rajan. His staff lay beside the throne behind him.

"Y, yes?" Faye asked nervously.

"Would you do me the pleasure of having this dance?" he asked bowing a bit and outstretching his right hand. Faye's eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth. Faye snuck a peak at Neyla.

_'I know how I can humiliate Neyla! I just have to keep calm.'_ Faye beamed and said,

"Yes." She grabbed Rajan's hand with her left and they walked out to the dance floor.

_'If I just think of him as a cat, I'll be alright. A big cat with teeth and power and…aw, look at his tail! It's so cute! Maybe this won't be so a bad after all!'_ Faye studied the movements of Rajan and, out of the corner of her eye, Neyla.

Step…turn head…step…

_'If anyone can change history…__'_

"Rajan?"

Twirl…step…stomp…

_'I can.' _

"Yes?"

Step…step…dip…

_'If I dance better than Neyla…'_

"This is my first time dancing."

Turn head…step…stomp…

_'It would be reward enough…_'

"But you dance as if you've done it for years."

False step, head turn…step…twirl…

_'That's partly true.' _

"I've never danced professionally."

Step…twirl…step…step…

"It doesn't matter…"

Step, twirl, step…

"…You dance gracefully."

Step, turn head, twirl, stomp…

Twirl, twirl, twirl…look up…

Twirl, step, dip… The song ended and Faye let go of Rajan's hands.

"That was enjoyable Miss…" Rajan waited for Faye's reply.

"Faytin…Miss Faytin. I have to go see a friend of mine. Thank you," Faye said and she walked off for Sly, Neyla, and Carmelita. Rajan sighed to himself,

"What a wonderful dancer. She's almost as good as the fellow over there." He went back to his throne and talked with Jean Bison.

"Yes, and three is always a crowd," said Neyla as Faye and Carmelita approached.

"Neyla, your friend here is quite an accomplished dancer," said Carmelita.

"I tried to make him look good," said Neyla.

_'Where's a blunt object when you need it?'_

"Please Neyla, his skills far surpass yours," said Carmelita.

_'Thank you Carmelita.'_

"Perhaps later you and I might share a dance? Miss? …" Sly's acting was as slick as a spider's web.

"Miss Fox…Carmelita Fox…and I accept," said Carmelita.

_'Urge…to…hurt Neyla…rising…'_

"I'm sorry Miss Fox but we need to go. Friends of ours are going out for a stroll and have invited us," said Faye. Sly and her walked back up the stairs and out the ballroom doors with their stuff in hand.

While walking back to the safehouse, Sly wouldn't let Faye live something down.

"I saw you dancing with Rajan," said Sly.

"So what?" said Faye.

"I thought you were going to sit this one out."

"I changed my mind."

"So why'd you dance with him?"

"Rajan is a tiger. Tigers are higher in the food chain than I am and quite frankly, I don't want to tick off someone with sharp claws and sharp teeth," Faye stressed her words.

"Any other reasons?"

"Yes, actually. For one, I didn't want to mess up the heist because I refused a dance from a Klaww Gang member. And another, I wanted to humiliate Neyla by dancing better than her." Her voice had one of those 'I'm trying to sound sarcastic but I'm not' tones.

"So by trying to dance better than Neyla you were in fact trying to dance better than me." Sly's voice sounded logical with a hint of sarcasm.

"No, just Neyla," Faye lowered her voice a bit, "Although I would like to do more."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just rambling again," she said to Sly. He waited a moment and asked,

"So who asked who to dance?"

"Will you let it die already?!" There was a brief silence as the two were about to enter the safehouse.

"You danced with Rajan," said Sly.

"You danced with Neyla," said Faye. There was even more silence as they entered the cave. Bentley was putting up the projector and Sly and Faye sat down.

"Rajan," Sly whispered to Faye.

"Neyla," she whispered back.

"Alright boys…" Faye cleared her throat loudly, "And girl," Faye smiled, "we're ready for the next phase. My plan to get at the Clockwerk Wings requires the use of the electronic winch above the ballroom. To get control over the device, I'll need to hack the computers in Rajan's boardroom. Plus we'll need an extra strong saw blade to cut the wings off the statue. To make a saw blade that durable, I'll need Sly and Faye to steal gems off the headdresses on Rajan's prized elephants. And finally, I'll take to the field with my remote control helicopter and nullify the palace's surface-to-air defenses. That should clear things up for the heist." The projector shut off as Bentley worked on his chopper, screwdriver in hand. Murray cracked his knuckles in case he was needed. Sly got up and walked out the door. On his way, he passed Faye and whispered to her,

"Rajan."

"Neyla," she murmured back to him before he left.

"Faye, you should go help Sly in the boardroom," said Bentley. Faye nodded her head and said,

"Alright, Bentley. See you in there guys," said Faye. She twirled her staff around like a baton and walked out of the safehouse.

* * *

Oy, was this chapter any good? If you confused by what Faye said, don't worry. I was bored and threw in some confusion. It will be repeated at the end of the story and any questions about it should be cleared up. Please remind me to around Jean Bison's level, "Menace in the North, eh?" Otherwise I might forget. Reviewing: your option. Terrorizing Bentley with a bombardment of dumb questions: my duty.


	9. Waterfalling Into Realization

Yay! Update! No Faye/Sly, Faye/Murray, or Bentley/Faye. Sorry if this chapter doesn't match up to the others. More confusion than you can shake a Cooper at. Seriously, the plot is going to get confusing if you don't stay on the ball. I won't bore you about why it took me so long to get this up. A reviewer asked me some time ago why Faye was having visions. Rest assure that the reason will be eventually revealed later on.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sly Cooper. Drat it! … Excuse while I sulk.**

_Chapter 9: Waterfalling Into Realization  
_

After leaving her dress at the safehouse along with Sly's tux and putting on her black attire, Faye followed Sly closely as they came around the back of the ballroom to the boardroom. They snuck past the veranda they had visited earlier to get the recon photos and came to a broken wooden bridge. It looked as if a heavy guard crossed it, jumped up and down on the weak wood until it broke, and fell into the river with pieces of bridge. Sly went first and pressed his body against the wall. He sidled across the narrow beam and made it to the other side with no problem. Faye, on the other hand, was still on the opposite side, staring at the wooden plank she'd have to cross.

"Faye?" Sly called to her. Faye looked up, gave a weak smile, and edged slowly to the lath. She pressed her body to the wall's surface as much as possible and slowly, slower than Murray, made her way across. As she edged her way across the beam, a piece of it broke off under her right foot. Faye gasped and didn't move. She closed her eyes shut and moved again across the broken bridge. Every creak and noise made Faye tense her muscles. Halfway there, something touched her right hand. Faye shot her eyes open to see,

"Sly!"

"Don't worry about it," he said. He held Faye's hand gently but firmly and led her across. Faye started to calm down as they sidled to safety. She smiled a bit…but it didn't last for long. The wood beneath them suddenly splintered and worst of all during this incident, it was mainly underneath Faye where it split. Sly's eyes widened as he lost his grip on Faye's hand while jumping away from the broken beam. He could only watch as she screamed and plummeted into the canal. She landed in the water and didn't come up. Sly bent down and scanned the water for any sign of Faye. She resurfaced further down the way near the waterfall.

"Sly!" she shouted as her head bobbed up and down in the water.

"Faye!" he shouted back. Sly ran and hooked his cane on a nearby pipe while outstretching his hand in less than a split-second. The current was pulling her away from the thief and she was almost over the falls. Sly's eyes were wide as he continued climbing the pipe.

"Sly? What happened?" radioed Bentley. "Sly? … Sly?" Sly quickly climbed over to the first low balcony and peered over the falls as Faye plummeted possibly hundreds of feet and screamed in fear, mist and foliage blocking his view of her. Her shrieks echoed into nothingness and a silence befell Sly and, what seemed to be, India. Sly closed his eyes, took off his cap, and held it to his chest.

"Sly?" Bentley radioed again. Sly took out his binocucom and said with a shaky voice,

"She's gone Bentley. She…she went over the falls." Back at the safehouse, Bentley hung his head and closed his eyes behind his glasses. Murray stared at the ground and, without a sound, softly sobbed. The only sounds that could be heard were the rushing of the falls and the stomping of some elephants' feet.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye's heart beat wildly as she drifted towards the falls. She reached her hand up to Sly as fear shot through her body. Half of her body was already over the falls and she wasn't planning on going all the way. Just as they were about to come into contact, the current carried Faye away from him. As Sly's attempt to grab her hand failed, she knew that she was going to die. Wind filled her ears as her descending speed increased. Faye did not listen to, nor could she hardly hear, the screams that escaped her lungs. In fact, it was as if someone else was screaming. Faye caught a glimpse of Sly before a thick sheet of haze blocked her view. It was going to end this way. Sly's kind words of reassurance. Bentley's incredible knowledge of practically everything. Murray's loud and disturbing snoring at night. Carmelita's demanding voice of stopping and coming to jail. She would never see them again. Faye held onto her cane as she looked below in her level position. A small tarn with rocks and surrounded by trees was closing in on her back. It would have seemed lovely if the impact wasn't going to kill her. Faye shut her eyes and tightly held her cane, hook end up. Death awaited her. What was supposed to be a dream-come-true event of being sucked into a game had turned into a nightmare of demise. A picture came into view on her eyelids as she quavered. Sly was on a catwalk, bleeding scantily from various wounds. His shirt was torn and four vertical tears on his front and one on either arm were noticeable. He got up and grabbed his cane that laid to his right. A bird-like figure swooped down upon the thief as he ran along the walkway. The image quickly faded out before anything else happened. Suddenly, a great trembling came through Faye's body from what seemed her staff. The rushing wind in her ears ceased and less water was coming over her every few moments. Faye shivered and coughed violently, trying to get some water out of her lungs. When the trembling finally stopped and death did not come, she carefully opened her left eye. Her right soon joined as she gazed at the pond she hovered about five feet above. Her first words were,

"What the…?" Faye looked up to see that her cane had been caught on a sturdy and slightly bowed branch from a tree on the bank. There were a few leaves on it and it looked as if some had been shaved off when she slid down near the bough's end.

"I'm…alive… I'm alive. I'm alive!" those words sputtered from her mouth like a stream, "I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm ali… Wait a minute. Shouldn't this branch have sna…" The branch creaked. "Oh no. Don't…" **Snap!** "…Snaaap! Oof!" Faye landed on the ground on her rear. She bent over, hands on the ground, coughing until water came up and out of her lungs. The branch came soon after and had a soft landing…on her head.

"Ouch!" Faye rubbed her head in pain. The strap from the mask was not there.

"My mask is gone…" She looked around and saw something besides her mask missing. "My staff!" Faye got up and lifted the branch in front of her. Her eyes befell only grass and a flattened tulip. Faye let go of the branch and turned behind her to the water. The staff stood vertically at a slightly off angle in the mud beneath the water. She waded through the water to her cane. Faye grasped her cane and lifted it out of the quaking water. She smiled briefly and peered into the water. The water was still shaking when it appeared.

"No way…" Faye whispered. An image of Sly and Carmelita appeared. Sly wasn't running and Carmelita wasn't chasing. They were talking, as if working out a deal. As the water calmed, the picture faded. "What is up with these things? He was just hurt a moment ago." Faye shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Something wet and hot came from them. "Was I…crying before…up there?" She looked back up the waterfall. "I'm not getting back up that way." She gazed around at her surroundings for a way back up. The lake was about a hundred feet in diameter from what she could tell with crystal clear water. A few koi fish, obviously imported, swam by Faye's feet as she backed out of the water. A few willows, teaks, and large rocks splotched with moss surrounded the lake and waterfall. Faye peered up the tree with the broken branch. It was a teak."That's _definitely _noticeable." The branch had left a badly splintered end on the tree. A grooved dirt wall almost fully encircled the trees and waterfall. It stopped just past the lake and broke off in separate directions. Faye's eyes followed the river from the lake. It stretched and curved for miles and melded with the setting sun in the west. It was as if the sun and river were one.

"Breathtaking…" Faye muttered, fore it was the only word that could describe such beauty. India in all its glory lay before her. "If only…I could stay…" Faye departed her eyes from the entrancing landscape. It was beautifully serene but Faye needed a way back up. She looked past the broken branch on the ground and her eyes widened in disbelief. "Why didn't I see that sooner?" On the right side of the waterfall, in the dirt wall, lay an opening complete with stone steps like that throughout the palace above. They were low, flat, and curved left as they went up. The archway to the steps was decorated with rubies, blue paint and moss. Faye shook herself off as much as possible and entered the stairwell.

Torches aligned the walls inside the stairwell. Faye silently walked up the stone steps, leaving drops of water behind her. The stairs stopped curving left almost immediately and went up to a room. Faye came up the flight of stairs and caught more of the room with each step she took. It was a brown stone room with a marble table in the middle surrounded by eight chairs with cushions on the back and seat, each one was a different size to, obvious, fit a different person. A gold sink was on the left side of the room and many china cups were nearby on a cherry wood shelf. Faye barely caught a glimpse of the marble floor and light fixtures before the double brown stone doors on the right side of the room slowly opened. Faye darted to a cranny of the stairwell not visible to anyone sitting on a chair in the room. Faye kept her breathing silent, as her position was only a short wall away with the room on the other side. Heavy footsteps entered the room with many other footsteps, all of various sounds and shuffling. Scraping of chairs softly filled the chamber. Faye barely made out something short and black in the room. Then a female spoke up.

"So how are we going to handle this mishap?"

_'It isn't Neyla so who…'_

"This wasn't supposed to happen," grunted a man with a gruff northern accent.

_'Jean Bison? Then that means…'_

"Indeed. The girl managed to keep her memories somehow," said another male with a refined voice.

_'I'm trapped with the Klaww Gang! And that black thing is the Contessa's leg!'_ Faye pressed her body against the wall with the torches and kept her ears open.

"Yes, the Dimension Disrupter failed but only partly," said a second feminine voice.

_'Neyla!'_

"You told us that she would lose all of her memory except for her name, the Cooper Gang's weaknesses, and our plan," said the Contessa. Faye stayed silent and kept listening. Neyla got up from her chair and crossed the room to the sink.

"We were supposed to make her join us and kill that infuriating Cooper, hippopotamus, and turtle," said Arpeggio. Faye's mouth opened agape. Neyla took a cup and turned a handle on the sink.

"But something went wrong. How did she keep her memories, eh?" spoke Jean Bison. The traitor filled her cup with water and turned off the faucet. She took a sip and her right eye darted in Faye's direction. Faye backed against the corner of both walls.

"We're not sure Jean. And here we had everything ready for her," said the Contessa. Neyla approached the table and put her cup down.

"That may be so, but I have been keeping an eye on her. She trusts anyone over the net that seems friendly. So I've been keeping her around my finger at this instachat place she visits over the Internet. I know everything that's going on with her. She's like an open book; I can read her every move," declared Neyla.

"Really? Then we might be able to get her yet!" announced Arpeggio. "If only Dimitri's idea of a contest had done any real work and captured that girl."

"It wasn't a complete waste," stated Neyla.

"What's that?" said Bison.

"She entered part of her real name into Dimitri's computer. We can use that and information already collected to track her down her location." Neyla crossed her arms a bit and looked at each Klaww member's face.

"That girl is more trouble than she's worth," Bison muttered.

"Yes… We should probably come up with a plan to exterminate her if she resists us," spoke the Contessa.

"We should just kill her on the spot," Bison snarled.

"I say we 'persuade' her by force and if not then we will go with Bison's idea," stated Arpeggio.

"A little disorganized don't you think?" Neyla asked the group. The Contessa spoke up,

"Until we come up with a different idea, that will do. What about you Rexus?"

_'Please no.'_

"I agree with you, Madame," answered a male voice. Faye gritted her teeth and water welled in her eyes.

"Our pawn will show herself sooner or later. Right now we must get back to the party. It would seem too suspicious if four guests left without reason even if Rajan is keeping guard," said the Contessa. The chairs were moved again and the sound of two doors closing signaled Faye's temporary safety. Faye stepped out of the stairwell with tears in her eyes.

"Rexus… Are you really a Klaww Gang member? Am I really just a…a pawn?" Faye trembled and crossed her arms. She squeezed her elbows as droplets of water and tears mixed on the floor.

_'I can cry later. I have to meet up with Sly in the boardroom.'_ Faye uncrossed her arms and wiped away her tears. Stepping forward she noticed something was on the table. Faye approached the table and examined it. It was a piece of blue paper with all sorts of lines and measurements. The only things clear were the words "Dimension Disrupter" at the top. Faye grabbed the parchment, rolled it up, and put it in her pack. "Good thing it's water resistant," she whispered lowly. Faye moved toward to the doors and put her ear to them. There were no sounds on the other side. Faye waited a moment before pulling the right door open. Faye peaked her head into the hallway. Another set of stairs led upwards to a stone door. This hallway was lit by electric lights on both sides. They resembled torches but weren't. Faye treaded softly up the steps. There were multiple vents along the sides as Faye walked. Faye was about to open the door when she thought of the consequences.

_'If I open the door in the state I'm in, the Klaww Gang will recognize me and…I'm taking the air vent._' Faye took the grate off of a vent and crawled in backwards with it and her cane. _'This thing is…yuck! When do they clean these things?_' She replaced the grate and continued moving backwards. She came to an intersection of vents and took the opportunity to turn and move forward. _'How long do these things go on?'_ Faye stopped moving when she heard some voices. She followed their echoes, unknowing to where they would lead her.

"…She was right there."

"Even 'The Murray' could do nothing." Faye smiled and crawled faster through the vent.

"The feeling's mutual…but we need to get down to brass tacks." Faye came to a grated opening in the bottom of the vent. She looked down to see Sly, Murray, and Bentley. Sly had an orange mask in his hands while Bentley continued, "I need to hack both of the vault room computers to get control of the electronic winch above the ballroom."

"So what are me and Sly here for?" asked Murray. Sly put the mask away in his red pack and listened up. Faye leaned on the grate.

"The second I enter their servers they'll be onto…"

"Wahhhhhh!" Faye accidentally pushed out the grate and fell to the ground. She swung her cane and caught onto a nearby pipe. Faye swung off the pipe just as it broke and landed before the Cooper Gang. She dusted herself off, rested her cane's bottom on the floor, and said,

"So, what'd I miss?"

* * *

The waterfall scene was supposed to be different. I forgot which waterfall it was and changed it. For those of you who don't know, a teak tree is a strong type of tree with durable timber that grows in Southeast Asia that's prized for making furniture, etc. Just thought you all should know. And about the waterfall, I know that if you look off the edge of the waterfall you see where the falls end. But it looks like its all part of a never-ending sky, huh? I wasn't satisfied with that and thus enter the waterfall scene (with some other reasons I will not say). Wouldn't it be awful if this were all just a dream inside a dream inside a dream? But no, I won't do that to you all. I'll have a good ending, or as good as I can get it. On a different note: **Mwahahaha!** I have something up my sleeve. I shouldn't say now. It will come though. Can't think of anything else so… Hey Bentley!

Bentley: Does this have to do with why Murray is pink?

No…

Bentley: Why you can't hack Neyla's head off in the game?

It would be nice to do but that's not it.

Bentley: Then what?

Why is Sly a raccoon?

Bentley: _Twitches. Bangs head on desk repeatedly._

:D I finally got to him. Review if you want. I'll be back when I can. Sorry if anyone was out of character. Except for the Klaww Gang for certain reasons.


	10. Things Just Got Weirder

It's going to take longer than expected for the main heist here. Oh well. Characters will start getting a little out of character. After all, this isn't the same world as in the game.

_Note: Altered O.F.'s doom description to make a little more sense (can't make complete sense since this is based on a video game with anthropomorphic animals, a giant metallic owl, and a bunch of other things that don't make complete sense). _

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sly Cooper. Sucker Punch does. And I don't own DDR.

_Chapter 10: Things Just Got Weirder_

Sly, Bentley, and Murray just stared at Faye like bug-eyed goldfish with their mouths slightly agape. Faye smiled softly but it broke into a full-blown grin from ear to ear. Faye's mask was missing along with some of her disguise makeup, her clothes were dusty and sort of wet, and her eyes were welling up. She trembled as her staff's bottom rested on the ground.

"I…I missed you guys," Faye's voice quaked. "I thought for sure I'd never see you again." Faye ran up to Murray, the closest person. She clinched some of the front of his shirt in her hands and let her tears roll onto the fabric. Murray put his hands on Faye's back. Sly was the first to speak up.

"How…" Faye backed her head away from Murray, took a step back, and closed her eyes.

"Yeah… I survived." Her eyes barely opened as she stared at the floor. "I don't mind what you have to ask…I'm just glad to be back. Right now though we have to gain control of the electronic winch." She looked up, her eyes fully open now. "So let's get to work." Faye seemed to have stopped shaking a bit and took her place between Sly and Murray.

"Well as I was saying. The second I enter their servers they'll be onto us. You guys need to work together to keep the thugs off my back," said Bentley with a stifled smile. He tried to seem serious but the smile wouldn't go away. There was a sense that he wanted to shout with happiness but under the circumstances, it could wait.

"You two and me pals, side by side by side," said Sly, possessing a wide grin.

"'The Murray' knows no fear," said Murray. Unlike Bentley, he kept that beaming personality going.

"Welcome back Faye," said Sly. Bentley turned his attention to the computer behind him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Faye.

"Okay, I'm in." Some goat and monkey guards came through the door on the opposite side of the room. "Hacking the level six barrier." Sly **smacked** the first goat guard into the monkey guard with his staff.

"Hey Faye," **Smack!** "What happened after the waterfall?" asked Sly between hits.

"Well," **Crack!** "Long story short…" Murray **punched** the guards silly. "My cane got snagged on a teak branch and it broke my fall."

"Almost there…got it! Moving onto the level five system," said Bentley, moving to the second computer. Sly, Murray, and Faye backed behind him with more guards spilling from the door. Faye struck a guard in the back, Murray **walloped** 'em all big time, and Sly continued his usual hit and dodge technique.

"…I found a secret staircase at the bottom of the waterfall. It led up but I didn't know where the door at the top would take me, so I took the air vent."

"Okay I'm close," said Bentley. Faye ducked under a charging monkey and hit it with her staff in the…well, one could just say the monkey had a high-toned voice and went cross-eyed before Faye flung it by the left arm to Murray.

"And here I am," Faye finished her explanation and asked her own question, "So what happened after my absence?"

"Changing back for level four access," said Bentley as he changed computers. Again the trio took out the guards with their own moves. There was a brief pause from Sly.

"We regrouped and came here," said Sly. Ten guards of goats and monkeys came rushing through the door and charged at the intruders.

"Hey Murray. How you holding up?" Faye shouted to the pink hippo.

"'The Murray' is ready for more!" he bellowed.

"Almost got it!" announced Bentley. Faye pointed to the throne in front of the fireplace to her right and yelled,

"Murray! Stomp, grab, and throw!" Faye took on the goat Murray was dealing with and **thwacked **him across the face with her cane and high-kicked him in _the_ same place. Murray stomped near the throne, picked it up, and threw it at two monkeys and a goat.

"Okay, going for level three," said the turtle, going back to the other computer. Seven more guards came in as Sly finished off a monkey.

"There's just no end!" exclaimed Faye. She heard a yelp and turned to see Sly getting hit by a monkey's spear in the right thigh. It and two other monkeys surrounded Sly and closed in.

"Why you…come 'ere!" Faye yelled. She ran to help but Sly pulled off a three-sixty spin and knocked them all out with his staff.

_'Great. This is going to come back on us I know it!'_ Murray socked a monkey through the hologram projector of the world and into a goat.

"I'm so close!" shouted Bentley, typing away with his hacking skills.

"Keep it up Bentley! You're doing great!" shouted Faye as she took on a goat with an overhead smash with her cane. Out of the corner of her eye Faye saw something move. A monkey had snuck around her to Bentley. The guard breathed in and Faye tripped it with her foot. Fire sprouted upward from the monkey's mouth as it landed on its back. "Fore!" Faye used her staff like a golf club and sent the monkey into next month and a wall.

"Yes. Heading for level two!" declared Bentley. Faye was now back-to-back with Murray.

"Hey Murray. Pick me up, will ya?" Murray lifted Faye up to his shoulders. A goat guard came behind Murray and Faye bent backwards with her legs around the big guy's neck. "We haven't met before have we? Well let me introduce you to my staff!" Faye swung her cane at the guard and watched as Sly hit the goat up and down to the floor. "Sorry to see you go so soon," said Faye. She raised herself back up and punched a monkey who jumped over Murray's fist.

"Almost; almost have it!" said Bentley.

"We're almost there guys. Just a little more!" declared Faye. "Throw me there." Faye pointed to a guard coming behind Bentley. Murray overlapped his hands and Faye hopped on. He threw her at the monkey and she held her cane out. She propelled into the tree hanger, slid on him like a sled, and stood on top of him.

"Going for level one access!" Bentley hyperventilated as he hacked the last barrier.

"Alright, let's go!" said Faye. Sly double-jumped and cane-spiraled down into a goat. The guard flew past Faye into the mantle of the fireplace. "Battle field in here," she murmured.

"This is intense! I can taste it!" said Bentley. He was obviously excited.

_'He's getting faster at hacking.'_ Two goats and one monkey remained and each took one on. Murray punched at a monkey, Sly swung at one goat, and Faye threw the other goat. The three guards collided behind Bentley with a **thud.**

"I'm unstoppable! I've got control of the winch. Thanks for the backup guys," said Bentley, turning away from the computer. He stopped for a moment seeing the dozens of guards on the floor. One of them somehow wound up with a wedgie and was hanging from the broken pipe above.

"No problem, me, the big guy, and Miss Level-Headed had it covered," said Sly.

"It was…kind of fun," said Faye with a smile. She seemed to have forgotten what had happened only minutes before with the underground passage.

"Murray, let's hook up the direct feed and get out of here while the coast is clear," said Bentley. He pressed a few buttons on the computer and left through the double doors with Murray. Faye leaned on her staff at an angle and watched them leave.

"Are you coming?" Sly asked her. Faye turned to him.

"In a moment," she answered.

"Just remember that we need to get the gems off the headdresses of Rajan's elephants."

"I remember. Don't worry I'll be there." Sly ran to the edge of the floor and jumped down to the first. Soft splashing was heard as Sly exited the building through the waterway. Faye strolled over to the hologram projector in the middle of the room. She grabbed the first thing she saw among the buttons, knobs, and switches: a control stick. It was like the kind a person would see on an arcade machine but had a black button on top. Faye moved it counterclockwise and the world map turned to the left. She pressed the button and the hologram disappeared. In its place came a green holographic screen that looked like a computer screen.

"Guard duty for this month is as follows... Blah… Lunch schedule…" Faye read the list contents and brought the control stick down and continued to read, "Current bank balance… In the billions! Whoa. This guy is loaded. Login?" Faye crossed her arms for a moment, uncrossed them, and looked at the buttons on the pedestal. "Good thing they're labeled," she muttered. She pressed a gray one labeled 'Keyboard' and a hidden panel equipped with a keyboard and mouse flipped down from the front side of the podium. Faye grabbed the mouse and clicked on 'Login.' Faye's eyes bulged when she saw the name.

"StableKayla? Sheeze, what an egomaniac…" she muttered under her breath. She groaned a bit, seeing that she needed a password. She tapped the podium and shut her eyes. "What is the password? …" she opened her eyes, "Maybe…" She typed in 'Clock-La' and pressed enter.

"Access Granted," said a low, male, computerized voice. "Welcome Administrator StableKayla"

"Lucky break. …Administrator?" Faye started wondering why Neyla was an administrator on Rajan's computer when another screen came up after the first hologram faded. What came on made Faye's eyes bulge. The words '**My World'** were pictured above a diagram of Clockwerk. A short paragraph was written below with the scribbles of a madwoman. Faye read it, whispering to herself,

"The Dimension Disrupter worked, but only halfway. The girl we tried getting into our world ended up keeping her memories. I'm somewhat sure of what went wrong. Someone must have built their own Dimension Disrupter and intercepted us. I will find out who did this, but in the mean time I need to get that girl to side with me. She has the key to the Cooper Gang's destruction and success. All I need to do is get to her one way or another."

Faye clinched her fists. "The nerve…of that…that…"

"It came from over here," came a voice from behind the doors. Faye quietly gasped, clicked 'Logout,' pressed the keyboard button, and pressed the control stick button.

"You sure? I didn't hear anything," said another voice. She ran over and off the edge of the level and ran for the waterway like Clockwerk was behind her. The double doors opened and two rhinos came in. She waded through the water as silently as possible. The guards shone their lights around the room.

"I _know_ I heard something," said one guard. Faye bent down and crawled through the hole before a light shined on the water.

Faye came out on the other side of the tunnel wet beyond all belief. Her hair hung down front and back, her clothes were badly soaked, and she was shivering.

"That. Water. Was. Cold!" Faye began climbing the pipe beside her. "I'm always landing in friggin' cold water! I'm like a cat; I _hate_ water; especially _cold_ water." She hopped to the first low balcony and squeezed her clothes dry. "Did I do something to deserve getting dipped in freezing cold waters? I don't think so." She squeezed her costume. "Water resistant my foot. I can feel it through the dang thing. One moment I'm in my room, sound asleep and the next I'm in a dang…f, freezing cold room in a dang cold museum ticking off a dang officer." Faye hopped to the next balcony. "Oh but not _any_ police officer. Carmelita Montoya Fox is who I ticked off with a comment about a _monkey_! Then I get carsick! And that's not all ladies and gentlemen!" Faye sounded like a game show host as she shook water off herself. "This girl got her hand grabbed by ugly-as-heck Dimitri, fell in a fountain, missed the chance at strangling a dang Dodo-head traitor that needs a beating, danced with a ten-foot tall egomaniac, fell into a raging river, fell off a dang waterfall, found herself as a dang pawn, got betrayed by a former contestant, got in a fight, nearly got barbecued by a stinking monkey, and has been in freezing cold water for the umpteenth time within the last few minutes!" Faye stressed her last words. She took a deep breath and let it all out. "And now folks it's time for her next show: elephant riding and gem grabbing."

"So, are you ready to do some thieving?" Faye breathed a faint mix between a gasp and a scream that barely escaped. Faye looked up at the balcony above her to see a familiar masked thief. Sly grinned as he leaned over the balcony's edge with his arms crossed.

"How, how long have you been there?" she asked Sly.

"Just long enough to hear you rant about a Dodo-head traitor that needed a beating," said the devious bandit. Faye pressured her teeth together.

"You did?" she said through clinched teeth. "Oh boy," she breathed, unclenching her teeth, "Looks like I'll have to explain, huh?" Faye held hope in her eyes for Sly's answer.

"It's your business. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said. Faye smiled as Sly dropped down to her level. "Let's go get those gems." Sly took out his binocucom for a moment and scanned the area. He put them up and said, "This way."

_'He searched for the holographic marker._' Faye stayed close behind Sly as he headed near the center area to the elephant's pen. Faye stole a glance to Sly's injury from earlier in the boardroom. It didn't seem to affect him as he seldom ran but mainly walked to their destination. It had to be taken care of before it worsened, though Sly might have already done something about like beating up a guard and taking their first aid kit. Before Faye knew it, they had arrived at the entrance to Rajan's prized elephants' pen. Sly took out his binocucom and communicated to Bentley. _'How many times does he take out that binocucom during one heist?_' Faye sat on the steps of the elephants' pen in front of the door. Sly put away the binocucom after a while and crawled under the steps. Faye got up and ran for the basket behind the pen for all she had. She was in sight of the basket when she heard it. The elephants trumpeted piercingly as the pen's door bust wide open. It was a miracle that the door didn't fly off its hinges.

Faye jumped on the basket, landed on the rooftop, and walked to the other side where the elephant awaited for its headdress to be torn apart. Sly was on the ground staring at the huge beast and came around the same side Faye did. She leaped onto the elephant's saddle and went to work on the headdress. She **thwacked** the heck out of the headdress as the elephant protested with its constant trumpeting and swung its trunk at Faye. She jumped over the elephant's nose and continued her beating. The gem soon came off and it threw Faye off its back towards the river as it crossed the bridge. Faye used the elephant's tail as a literal example of a lifesaver and landed safely on the ground. She put the gem in her pouch and hopped on a basket onto a roof. On the other side, Sly had jumped onto the same elephant Faye had and was going at the next gem. Red smoke traveled past Faye, signaling her to jump onto an elephant. When she did, she immediately took on the task of getting the proud creature's gem.

"The nerve of that backstabbing, no good, callous, pain in the butt, dirty, rotten, evil foul little cockroach-ian of a Dodo-headed villain…" The elephant trumpeted and swung its trunk at Faye while she muttered about Neyla. Faye turned her head just in time to be struck in the stomach by the mighty giant and crash against a wall.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye looked around her. Everything was pitch black. She held up her hand in front of her face and couldn't see it.

"Where am I?" her voice barely echoed. Her words were lost in darkness the moment they came out. "Hello?"

"Hello, Faye Tym Destine," said a slightly hoarse feminine voice.

"You know my full name? But…no one here knows my full name. Not even the Klaww Gang, and they brought me here," Faye spoke back.

"That is true," the voice said.

"You sound familiar. …Who are you?"

"Don't you know? I am you." Two spotlights came on. One was on Faye and was on…Faye? An older version of the teen stood before her but she was somehow…different in more ways than one. She had a vertical scar on her left eye and scars on her legs and arms. Her shirt was torn in three places, slanting down from left to right across her chest, as if talons had ripped into her. Her hair was a dirty blonde and her once sapphire blue eyes were darkened, and it wasn't the shadows playing tricks. She was taller and no longer held innocence in her eyes. It was like looking into her heart's dark side.

"I don't know what to ask first," said the younger girl.

"Then let me explain what I can," said the older Faye. "I come from a time different yet the same as yours. In this time, the Klaww Gang have succeeded in erasing your mind of all but your name, the Cooper Gang's weaknesses, and the plot they devised with the spice and Clockwerk parts."

"My mind? You mean your mind too, right?" interrupted younger Faye.

"Yes but for the sake of less confusion I'm saying your mind. If you feel the need to say 'No,' 'Can't be,' or anything like that please wait until I'm done." Younger Faye nodded. "Now, the Klaww Gang in my time have devastated a majority of Interpol and…"

"Yes?"

"…This may be too hard for you."

"Please. It may help me if I know." Older Faye sighed and stood up straight.

"…and Carmelita was among them."

"What…?" Younger Faye's eyes were watering.

"Not only them, but Sly Cooper as well as Murray." Younger Faye fell to her knees sobbing.

"Their deaths were gruesome. It's better if I don't say. But there was hope." The younger Faye immediately looked up. "Bentley survived." A smile appeared over the youth's face.

"I…you…Great I'm getting confused myself." Older Faye saw that her younger self could handle no more stress, so she switched the point of view in her explanation.

"I was sent to find and destroy him but upon finding him, he told me that the Klaww Gang was evil. He convinced me with footage of the people of Paris getting in fights from the spice and a recording of the Klaww Gang talking about me being a pawn. I returned to the Klaww Gang's headquarters and stole the Dimension Disrupter's blueprints. I gave them to Bentley and he pointed out that the machine was run by the Clockwerk parts. If he had a few, he could fix the problem by intercepting the past event when I was brought to Sly's world and cause the memories from being erased."

"He did it!" Young Faye cried. "He did it!" A mile wide grin spread on her face.

"Yeah, he did. He also made it so my past self would end up in the very Museum around the very moment where Sly and the gang dropped in so you wouldn't bump into the Klaww Gang. But I was punished for helping him. Neyla as Clock-La tore me apart with Dimitri and his red spheres of electricity, Rajan and his electricity granted by Clockwerk's Heart, Jean Bison and his deadly staff granted by Clockwerk's Talons, and the Contessa with her hypnosis. The reason Rajan and Bison had their weapons even though Clock-La was active was due to that foul being's and Arpeggio's mind to make near exact replicas of those accursed items." She closed her eyes, silently inhaled another breath, and went on a bit more quietly, "Each one of them unleashed their attacks as the Contessa's hypnosis kept me still. It wasn't pretty." Young Faye stayed quiet and seemed to be taking it all in. "Keep in mind that this is just a vision; it's not real and neither was the reality in which the Klaww Gang rules. A false reality."

"So…I have to stop that false reality and create a true reality," said Young Faye.

"Yes. If you need a question answered, look to your visions. Now, you must wake up. Wake up… Wake up…" Older Faye faded with her voice as a male one took her place. Everything went black as the voice got stronger.

"Wake up Faye. Faye?" Faye opened her eyes and looked around. A stone table was all she could make out as she rose from the ground. Other figures were blurred but recognizable by green, pink, and gray.

"I'm up, I'm up. Oh…my head's throbbing… How long have I been out?" Faye shakily got to her feet.

"About an hour. The headdresses have been taken care of. You took quite a hit," said Sly helping her stay steady.

"Now for the heist. Darn elephant… Got to add that to my list of things to avoid." Faye took a seat on the stone chair as the projector started up. Bentley spoke as the words "Operation: Hippo Drop" came on screen,

"Okay, synchronize your watches. This heist is going to take _extreme_ precision. Here's the plan: I'll start things off by demolishing the palace's main bridge. That should cut off reinforcements from the Guest House and, hopefully, distract the ballroom guards standing watch over the Clockwerk Wings. Sly will then take Carmelita up on her offer for a dance and while the crowd is transfixed by their tango… Murray will lower into the ballroom on the electronic winch. Once down, he'll cut the wings free and then winch back up for an exit. Murray should then make his way out of the palace. I'll cover his exit with the RC-Chopper. Once he's past the drawbridge, we're home free." The projector shut off as the gang got ready for Operation: Hippo Drop.

* * *

The entire plot hasn't been unfolded, so stay tuned. If you haven't figured out what Faye said in chapter eight, here's the translation:

"**What happened so near that seems so long ago?"**

In other words, an event that just happened seems like it's been an eternity since it happened. You can't tell what to make of what just happened.

"**Whether the twilight comes or goes, we march forward."**

No matter what happens, life goes on as we march onward.

"**Fate can be denied but only to a certain extent. Fore whom has the power to overthrow its word?"**

You can push destiny in a different direction but only so far. You can't fully overpower Fate.

Hopefully that helped some of you. See you all in the next chapter!


	11. Operation: Hippo Drop

Whoo! Operation: Hippo Drop is here! I'm so excited. This chapter has been tweaked a bit because I did a little rush job before.

**Disclaimer:** Yep. Still don't own Sly.

_Chapter 11: Operation: Hippo Drop  
_

Murray tightened his leathery gloves, Sly grabbed his tuxedo, and Bentley was getting his custom explosives and RC Chopper. Great tension and excitement held the room's breath. As Faye took one last look at the room, she reapplied the costume's makeup. She kneeled over a puddle of water in the corner that supplied her with a makeshift mirror.

"I think you might want this." Faye turned to see Sly holding out her cat mask. She took it and ran it over her fingers. It was a flexible rubber with whiskers that fitted over her skin perfectly. It felt like a baby's gentle skin but was just the right thickness so no one could tell it was false.

"Thank you," she said and put it over her face. You couldn't tell that she had put on any kind of makeup or that she was human for that fact. In just a few moments of makeup application, she looked like a cat again. She then walked up to Bentley and said,

"Say Bentley?" He looked up from his RC Chopper. "What's my role in this?"

"Well I wasn't sure if you'd be up in time for the plan so I didn't set one up," he said nasally.

"Can I go to the ballroom? The more help with the main distraction, the better."

"Well I suppose you could…" With that a huge grin spread over Faye's face. Faye picked up Bentley in a hug, set him down, and grabbed her dress hanging off a chair. While running out the entrance to the cave Faye called back,

"Thanks Bentley!" Faye sped up as she did a speedy Ninja-Spire Jump over the rocks on the left side of the drawbridge. Sly was right behind her and was barely able to keep up with the teenager's adrenaline rush. Sly reached out to grab Faye's tail but it was flailing about so much, he couldn't grasp it. So he grabbed her costume's back just as they got to the island upriver. Faye stopped and turned around as she felt a tug on her back.

"Faye," he huffed, "You left before Bentley could give you this." Sly held out his left fist and opened it to reveal an earphone. It was small, black, and hooked over an ear by the looks of it. "Now you can communicate with us," he said as he adjusted the electronic device on Faye's ear. He moved some hair over the gadget and smirked.

"I guess after the waterfall incident, it would be good if you knew where I was," she said touching the earpiece. Sly led Faye up to the palace and to the front door. Sly put a finger to his ear.

"Bentley's about to start on the bridge," he said to Faye. She nodded as they casually strolled up to the main doors and Sly knocked.

Inside the ballroom, Faye and Sly waited on the stairs in their formal wear for Bentley to finish his job.

"So…how's this going to work again?" Faye asked her raccoon friend.

"The direct feed from the boardroom will allow Bentley to control the electronic winch from the van. All we have to do is get back to the van before Murray and we'll be set," he answered back.

"Right," Faye just left it at that. She gazed at the Clockwerk Wings and a brief shiver traveled throughout her body. It was like Faye's presence alone made the Wings vibrate with a strange energy. An energy unknown to anyone. Sly patted Faye on the back and made her arch her shoulders.

"It's almost time. Do what you have to," he said. Faye nodded and faded into the crowd of faceless people.

"Excuse me," Faye turned towards the sound of the voice. A golden retriever stood before her in a black, elegant tuxedo. Faye's eyes slightly bulged.

"Rexus!"

"I look different without the street look, huh?"

"I, I'll say. What are you doing here?"

"I was invited by Rajan."

_'Not as straightforward as I wanted.'_

"Are you the entertainment or just a guest?"

"A guest. And what about you? What's been going on?"

"This and that. Having a blast with a few acquaintances." Tango music began before Faye could ask anything more. "I'm sorry Rexus. I have to find someone."

"All right. See ya!" Rexus waved goodbye to Faye and left her to her business. When he was out of sight, Faye made her way through the crowd.

"Where is she?" she asked herself quietly. A bright flash caught her attention. "Neyla…" Sly and Carmelita were talking briefly as the song was barely a quarter over.

"You look familiar to me, are you in law enforcement?" Carmelita asked her dance partner.

"I often deal with police while on the job," Sly answered the Inspector. While they chatted, Faye was just beginning her hunt. She was now back at the stairs and had found her target. She walked nonchalantly up to Neyla.

"Constable Neyla. I see you're enjoying the dance." Neyla held a camera in her left hand, away from Faye.

"Hello. You were with Sly Cooper awhile back weren't you?" Neyla asked her.

"Yes I was," Faye kept her anger down. "I know who you are, Neyla. I know what you're scheming. I won't let you become one with the frame of the Cooper family's archrival." Faye's voice was quiet yet stern.

"Then you had better know how to catch up," she whispered maliciously. Neyla's eyes narrowed as her claws were drawn.

"My pleasure," a smirk appeared on Faye's face. Neyla walked up the stairs while Faye followed. Neyla then power-walked and broke into a sprint. They ran up several flights of stairs blurred by soft lights before they reached the roof. It was a flat entrance to the roof where as soon as your head stuck out you could see most of the palace pinnacle. Neyla got there first and whipped at Faye as she got to the top.

"Whoa!" exclaimed the girl as she backed off. Neyla stood above Faye and allowed her access to the roof. They constantly moved as they circled on the roof, never leaving the other's sight like a fight between tigers or lions.

"Well _'StableKayla'_, it seems that we get to face-off," said Faye with her cane out defensively.

"Yes _'Destiny'sFate'_, it seems we are," said Neyla as her whip glowed in the twilight. Faye stole a glance at Neyla's whip then eyed the traitor's face.

"Is that fire or electricity coming from your whip?" she asked her.

"Would you like to find out?" Neyla whipped as Faye leapt back and a burn mark was left where she was just standing.

"I guess it's electricity. If it was fire, it would have set a blaze to everything you whipped." Neyla whipped at Faye again and the other worldly guest held up her staff. The whip swirled around the cane and Faye threw it aside with the whip along side it across the roof. They were now both weaponless. The two adversaries quickly locked paws and glared at each other. They pushed back and forth and growled. Neyla overpowered Faye and pushed her down to the ground. Neyla towered over Faye. Faye pushed her feet against Neyla's stomach, trying to gain the advantage.

_'If I don't do something soon, Neyla will overtake me. Then she'll go after Sly, Murray, Bentley, Carmelita, and everyone else.' _A tear slid down Faye's cheek. _'I can't lose. I can't let her win. For everyone on this planet; in this world...'_ Faye's eyes narrowed as she slowly pushed Neyla back._ 'I will fight… **Neyla will not kill them!**'_ Faye pushed Neyla off balance and they both slashed at each other. Pain came from Faye's chest and Neyla screamed in pain and stumbled away from her while holding her left eye. Faye clutched her chest with her right hand while kneeling and looked down. Three claw marks slanting down from left to right crossed her chest. _'Just like my older self._' Neyla started laughing maniacally as blood dripped from her eye to the ground.

"You're a pitiful excuse for a thief. I saw your 'tail' peering out of the corridor in the underground room and you've left a part of yourself everywhere. The clues you've left: Destiny'sFate on the Internet, always saying 'Don't mess with Faytin,' leaving the initials FTD on Dimitri's printing press and on the owner's head, Destiny as your name in Dimitri's contest. It all leads to your real name Faye T. Destiny." Faye's mouth was open a jar. "Or is it Faye T. Destine?" The teen's eyes widened as she gasped. "It looks like I've hit the mark." Neyla moved her head in her opponent's direction. Faye shook as she got up and reached for her cane. As she reached for it, a small, rectangular item caught her eye. "It's hopeless; give up. You can't help anyone. Not even yourself. I shall rule supreme and the Cooper Gang and Interpol shall fall." Faye put the small item in her pack then untangled the whip from the cane and threw Neyla's weapon aside forcefully. With her conscience unsettled by mental abuse, Faye was on the verge of almost anything. She walked up to Neyla with her cane.

_'I can end it now. I can save everyone with one fatal swing.' _

"_No!"_ cried a voice. Faye stopped her advancement towards the traitor.

"_My older self? But why?"_ Faye thought.

"_You must get to the van **now**_ _before it's too late,"_ said Older Faye's voice. _"Leave Neyla and join your friends. You can't sink to her level. Not like I did."_ Faye glared at Neyla then turned and jumped off the roof to the veranda to the tree branches in the direction of the getaway van. Neyla got up, grabbed her whip from the ground, and returned down the stairs where Carmelita's screeching voice could be heard. It would seem suspicious if Neyla wasn't there to help arrest the partygoers.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Murray was in the driver's seat, Sly was in the passenger seat, and Bentley was in the back with the Clockwerk Tail Feathers, Clockwerk Wings, and RC Chopper. The van doors were open as they looked out.

"Where is she?" asked Murray, foot ready to hit the accelerator.

"Oh no! This shouldn't have happened!" freaked Bentley.

"She'll be here," said Sly. He quietly said, "I hope." Then, tearing around the corner was Faye. She dived into the van and before she barely touched the floor, she yelled,

"Punch it!" The van immediately took off as it swerved away from the palace. Faye placed her cane behind her and a bump sent her flying towards the road behind the van. Faye caught onto the door handles and jerked backwards, shutting the doors. She sat back and rested her hands over her stomach.

"Faye? You're bleeding," Bentley said, freaking like he always did. Faye closed her eyes.

"Yeah. I got in a scrap but I'll be okay. Its just a few scratches," she said. Sly took out a first aid kit as he said,

"Is this why you were late?" Faye nodded,

"Yes. Sorry. I shouldn't have got into a fight."

"At least we got away in time. You should wash up once we get back to the hideout," said Sly, giving Faye the first-aid kit he probably received from a guard.

"All right. I suppose I should." Faye took the kit and opened it. Inside were a first-aid spray, several medicinal herbs, bandages, and a variety of other things. She had not lost a lot of blood, but she was tired so she took the first-aid spray and pointed the nozzle at her wounds, dispersing the liquid in a misty form. She winced in pain as it stung like peroxide, and it probably was. She then took the bandages and wrapped them around her stomach; front and back. Faye, too tired to deal with her injuries properly, along with the fact that she would have to wait until they were someplace safe, soon went to sleep.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Journal Entry 2: Weird Stuff is Happening...

This week started out just plain weird. First I see this vision at the hideout with the team in different situations. Murray was alone, Bentley was in a wheelchair, and Sly didn't have his friends with him. Thing is, this isn't the first time this has happened. Not while I've been awake anyway. The first time a vision appeared occurred during the fight against Dimitri. It was after he threw me across the room. I think I might've gone unconscious because what happened next was not reality. A voice called out to me and said, "Wake up! Sly needs you! Wake up, Faye!" I opened my eyes to see Dimitri about to kill Sly. What would've happened if I had not woken up? Never mind. Don't think that. Then it came again during my sleep after Dimitri. It was a silhouette of someone. The person stood over someone else. It comes and goes but every time I get a clearer picture. I'm confident that the person on the ground is Sly Cooper. But why? They're coming faster now and are getting longer. I'm starting to think that these visions are more than what they seem. My favorite one is Sly, Murray, Bentley, and Carmelita all together, not fighting. They were...friends. Yeah. But there's more. At Rajan's palace I fell off the main waterfall near the palace gate and had my life saved by a teak tree. Even weirder was the fact a hidden room and stairwell were nearby. Inside I learned the shocking truth: the Klaww Gang knew how to get me home. The ringleader is none other than Dodo-Head. She wanted to bring me here. And the horrible truth is...I was brought here to, to kill Sly and his friends. My friends. They wanted my knowledge of their weaknesses, their likes; their everything! They wanted to erase my memories and collect the information. But they said something happened. I kept my memories instead of them being erased. I think it has to do with the False Reality my older self told me about. So confusing… The Klaww Gang knows I'm here. I'm a disposable thing to them that can be wiped from existence for all they care. But I did get Dodo-Head good. I think she might be blind in one eye now. Anyway, we stopped in Bollywood and got Murray onto the set of some sort of play. I'm still unsettled though. I'm afraid. I know its going to happen. I have to stop it. I won't betray my friends. I will do what I can to stop Fate's plan. Clockwerk will **_not_** be resurrected. But can it be done?

* * *

This chapter sorta sucked.

Faye: No it didn't! I got to whip Neyla's butt!

Yeah. But there was so much more I wanted to put! I'll use it all later. Review if you liked it. Any reviews are welcome. Flames will be used to hurt Neyla/Clock-La.


	12. Slide Show and a Guest

SQ: Alright, I should explain why the summary kept changing. See, I wanted to work on a backup story for Older Faye. I thought my ideas wouldn't work but after much deliberation, they fit and the two last chapters only went through a few minor changes.

Faye: 'Minor' as in small details were added and I got Neyla's camera in the rewrite of the fight. (Holds up camera) It wasn't mentioned in the original version.

SQ: -.- Thank you Faye. We won't get into 'Episode 3: The Predator Awakes' just yet so just hang back and enjoy a little quiet time with Faye, Sly, Murray, and Bentley. Thank you all for reviewing. Oh, **and I beat Sly 3 with** **100 percent!** Now that I have seen Sly 3, I can continue Sly as a Cooper (plus I got a few problems worked out). Time machine! Woot! Go brainiac! Ahem. Unfortunately, I can no longer reply to the reviewers in a story. Sorry for the inconvenience. This is a time filler chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Lilo and Stitch's 'E-Arth' thing, Disney does. I don't own Sly. Sucker Punch does. I have no idea if there really is such a thing called the Historic Magazine but I'm disclaiming it anyway until I find out. There I said it. Can I have my cookie now?

_Note: I should bang my head on a table for this. Totally forgot that Faye says the 'E-Arth' thing in this chapter. -.- Great. Added a little dialogue to get around it. It doesn't change much. Also, I've noticed that most of these early chapters had sentence fragments here and there or things that just didn't make sense. So, I fixed what I could here.  
_

_Chapter 12: Slide Show and a Guest  
_

Heavy gray storm clouds brewed over the sky in the dead of night. High above the ground, two figures stood on either end of a metal platform as a few raindrops sprinkled upon them. Thunder clapped and lightning cracked, revealing one figure to be a female purple tigeress, blind in her right eye, wearing a dark blue tank top and brown shorts held up by a black belt. The other was a female orange striped cat in a black shirt and black sweats. Their eyes were hard to see as colors of the rainbow flickered in their orbs. The tigeress held a yellow glowing whip in her right hand that illuminated the platform near her feet and the cat held a cane in her right hand that rested on the metallic structure. The light of the thunder and lightning left and once again the two were in darkness.

"Finally, I can take you down without any distractions, Neyla," said the glaring cat.

"The feelings mutual, Faye," said the tigeress known as Neyla. Her single-jeweled headdress gleamed as lightning struck miles away.

"You will pay for everything you have done," Faye said threateningly as she gripped her cane tighter. Neyla smirked evilly,

"If you live long enough before I strike you down." Neyla let her wimple fly off into the wind as the rain began to pour. The two warriors stared each other down. Faye cracked her knuckles with her free hand and Neyla growled softly. Lightning and thunder chorused together and the two jumped at each other, claws out as if the final bell had rung at a wrestling match. Neyla swiped her foot at Faye's legs, but Faye jumped and **thwacked** Neyla over the head, causing her cranium to bleed. Neyla retaliated by cracking her whip at Faye and successfully wrapping it around her body, electrocuting her as screams broke the sound barrier. Faye lunged at Neyla and shocked her as well, forcing Neyla to unwrap Faye and ended up with a gash down her arm from Faye's claws.

"A cat fight is it?" said Neyla. "Fine. Time to put the toys away!" Neyla wrapped her whip around Faye's cane and ripped it out of her hands. She flung both weapons over the side of the platform into the ant-sized people below. Faye watched as her cane dropped into the abyss of buildings and concrete. She turned her attention back to Neyla, gritted her teeth, and bared them at her enemy.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did your dead friend's cane go bye-bye?" Neyla scoffed with as much sarcasm as possible. "Success comes at a price and it looks like your safety registered up his death."

"You take that back!" Faye screamed, balling up her fists.

"Worthless. That's what friendship is and Sly's cost him his life." Tears streamed down Faye's face, revealing flesh and not fur.

"Sly was one of my dearest friends in this world and you took him away from me! You took them all away!" Her voice quaked but kept its hateful tone, "You mercilessly killed every single one of them!" Faye kicked the traitorous witch in the shins, "This is for kidnapping me!" Punched her in the stomach, "This is for making Rexus, the Cooper Gang, Interpol, me; everyone a pawn in your sick little game!" Kneed her forehead, "This is for killing them!" Swiped her claws, "Carmelita!" Swipe, "Murray!" Swipe, "Bentley!" Swipe, "Sly!" Kick, punch, running tears, trip up, pin down, "And that was for Rexus. The only one who _ever_ understood my pain." Faye stood on top of Neyla who was breathing raggedly. They both breathed hard, trying to get their breath back. Neyla dug her back claws into Faye's back and threw her off to the other side of the platform. Faye slid, leaving her own blood behind, to the edge of the platform and struggled to get up but fell again on the slippery surface.

"And you're next," said Neyla. She ran at Faye, leapt up and came down claws out. Faye rolled out of the way and Neyla slipped, falling off the platform. In a last ditch effort, Neyla grabbed Faye's ankle and dragged her down with her. The frantic teen scrambled to stay on the platform and barely hung on as her claws scratched the surface.

"At least I won't die alone," said Neyla, sinking her own claws into Faye's leg and drawing blood.

"At least you'll die," Faye said darkly. She closed her eyes and with her tears and one final breath, she let go of the platform. The world below was zooming in. Faye opened her eyes as Neyla's claws soon let go. The tiger swiped at Faye but the other worldly guest grabbed her paw and quickly positioned Neyla so that both of the traitor's paws were held behind her and Faye was standing horizontally on Neyla's back. Neyla would be the first to taste the pavement.

"I'll see you soon, Sly," said Faye as she lifted her head up towards the clouds. Neyla chuckled,

"You think it's _that_ easy? I am immortal!" Neyla disappeared then the buildings, sky; everything faded into darkness. Faye was left to fall into oblivion as Neyla's laughter echoed around her. Falling, falling, falling...

**Thud!**

Faye's eyes shot open into a blur of darkness and something warm was tightly wrapped around her. **Creak.**

"Faye?" asked a male voice.

"A little help please, Sly," Faye said, muffled by blankets. Sly chuckled as he walked over and started unraveling the lump of covers, starting with the blue comforter. "Ha, ha. Very funny."

"Have a good dream?" Sly started working on the dark blue sheets.

"If you count fighting Neyla on a platform thousands of feet above the ground and falling to your dream-death, then yeah," Faye said with sarcasm. Light finally entered the covers and Faye climbed out of her cocoon with her hair a complete mess. Sly suppressed a laugh but just barely. "What?"

"You've got bed-head."

"Thank you for pointing that out," Faye said, rolling her eyes a little. Sly left for the door.

"I'll be out in awhile," said Faye, getting the covers sorted and putting them on the bed.

"Alright, but hurry up. Murray's making breakfast." He locked the door (from the inside of the room) and closed the door.

"Darn dream. I like the one where she's actually a dodo better," Faye said to herself. She traded her black shorts and shirt for light blue jean shorts and a dark blue shirt that said 'A thief's life for me' above a raccoon pirate thief with an eye patch and peg leg standing on a mound of various treasure from gold to sapphires to diamonds.

"Thank you Thiefnet," murmured Faye as she grabbed a hairbrush from the bedside table and tamed her hair. She made her bed, not that she had much of a reason since the team would be out of Bollywood soon, and stretched. She did some warm up exercises like twisting her torso side to side, jumping jacks, and windmills and located her blue pack. It was right where she left it, next to her bed and sewn-up cat costume. "There's only so long I can patch it up," she reached into the pack and pulled out a piece of rolled up parchment, "And only so long I can hide the truth." Faye stuffed the paper into her right pocket as she approached the door. She unlocked it, took a deep breath, twisted the doorknob, and pulled the door in and open.

"Morning everyone!" Faye said cheerfully, walking to the kitchen table. It was a fair-sized room with a medium-sized television (currently off) on the right side, opposite of the kitchen area. Murray was at the stove, Sly was eating from his plate while reading the newspaper, and Bentley was fiddling around with his laptop and projector.

"I suggest not eating sweets or watching scary movies before going to bed," Bentley said to Faye.

"Yeah, yeah," Faye grumbled, grabbing a seat at the square table and sitting across from Sly. "I didn't watch a scary movie and I didn't have sweets."

"Did you stay up reading the Thievius Raccoonus again?" Sly questioned, lowering his paper and looking at Faye from across the table, raising an eyebrow and giving a smile with his Cooper charm.

"...Possibly," Faye said, folding her hands in front of her on the breakfast table.

"Here you go, Faye," said a hefty voice. Faye looked to see that Murray was on her left with a plate of food. He put it in front of her and took a seat to her right. Bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and a slice of buttered toast sat on her plate along with a fork.

"Wow. Thanks Murray," Faye said as she smiled. She picked up the fork and swallowing some egg. "This is really good."

"So Faye," began Sly, "Where are you from?" Faye stopped eating and paused for a moment.

_'Ah, what the heck.'_ She smiled and said,

"A place called 'E-Arth.' It's the third planet from the galaxy's bright star."

"Faye," said Bentley in a tone that meant 'get serious.' But Faye went on,

"And did you know that E-Arth's surface is covered mainly in water? Fascinating, isn't it?" Faye had a maniacal expression plastered on her face with her big eyes and mouth open revealing her teeth while smiling. Sly chuckled, Murray looked slightly confused, and Bentley shook his head.

"Seriously Faye," said Bentley, glancing up from his laptop.

"Do I have to?" asked Faye, giving a screwed up half-smile. Sly stared at her with a look that said 'Yes, tell us the truth.' Faye sighed and leaned back on her chair,

"I'm from the U.S.A., in a little community leading into a cul-de-sac. I lived near some friends of mine before coming to Paris."

"Sounds like you haven't been here long," said Sly, peering over his paper. "And that you're either joking or lived in some underground community."

"Depends upon your definition of 'long' ...and 'community,'" said Faye.

"Whose turn is it to take out the trash?" asked Murray, gulping down about a pound of bacon.

"I'll do it!" Faye said quickly. She got up from her chair, leaving her plate nearly full, and headed immediately for the trash bin. She tied up the top and heaved it over her shoulder. "Be back!" Faye rushed out the door and slammed it behind her. She walked over to the trashcan down the alley, lifted the lid, and put the bag of trash inside. "Whew. That was close. I think they're starting to suspect something," Faye muttered to herself. She set the lid down and turned back for the door when soft sobbing caught her attention. She turned her torso around to a clutter of trashcans and took a couple of slow steps towards the weeping. Faye moved a can out of the way to see a little female panther crying, huddled in her arms. She looked about eleven years old and was wearing a red sweatshirt, navy blue sweats, and black shoes. Two small straps were over her shoulders so she was wearing a mini-backpack.

"Hello," Faye said softly. The little panther gasped as her head bolted straight up and her brown eyes met Faye's. She gasped,

"You look like the figure in a history book I once read. …Are you a _Homo sapien_?" Faye's eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"Yes. Yes I am," said Faye.

_'So even kids know about humans in Sly's world.'_

"Who are you?" the panther asked in a curious tone. Faye smiled,

"My name is Faye. Who are you?" Faye said in a soothing voice. The little panther sniffled and rubbed her right eye,

"Natasha."

"What are you doing out here, Natasha?" Natasha calmed down a bit.

"About a month ago I brought a cat to my home. My stepfather won't let me keep her," Natasha sat criss-crossed and revealed a black cat with blue eyes. "Her name is Josie. She's eight months old now and can't fend for herself. I just want her to be safe." Natasha broke into tears again, holding the cat in her arms. "He…he said he'd k, kill her if I came back with her again. So, so I ran away." She held Josie close and curled up into a ball with her tail on the cat. Faye's eyes welled but the tears refused to fall. She knelt down to Natasha's level and put a hand on her left shoulder.

"Did you stepfather even send out a search party?" The panther shook her head 'no' and buried her head inside her arms.

"No one came to find me. In fact, in the newspaper he announced that I had died. He inherited everything my mother had left for me. If anything I just want Josie to be in good hands." Faye paused.

"Well, do you know anyone who can take care of Josie?" Again the panther shook her head 'no'. Faye kept quiet for a moment to think. "Would you like me to take care of her?" Natasha shot her head up.

"You mean it!" she exclaimed. Her eyes sparkled with hope.

"Yep. I love cats. I'll have to persuade my friends to keep her but it probably won't be much of a problem…" Natasha threw her arms around Faye.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

_'Why does this seem familiar?'_ **Guuurgle.** Natasha looked down at her stomach and gave a nervous smile.

"Hungry?" Faye asked casually, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, kinda," Natasha took off her black backpack and unzipped it. She pulled out a slice of bread and tore it down the middle. She gave half to Josie and ate the other half herself. In seconds, the two pieces were devoured.

_'I get it.'_

"Come with me," said Faye, getting to her feet. She turned around and walked back to the safe house. She stopped and looked back. Natasha hadn't moved. "Come on." She waved her hand and beckoned the panther to follow. Natasha hurriedly zipped up the backpack, put it on, picked up Josie, got up, and followed Faye. Faye opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"What took so long?" asked Sly, taking a glimpse of who opened the door. Murray was done eating already and was setting up a game system, Bentley was done as well and was still fiddling with his laptop, Sly was half done with his meal and the newspaper, and Faye's breakfast sat there exactly where she had left it.

"I met someone," Faye started as Natasha stood next to the doorway, out of sight. "And I was wondering if she could join us for breakfast?" Faye looked away from the Cooper Gang to Natasha. "Go on," she said. Natasha peeked her head inside the room. Faye bent down to her level and whispered something in her ear as she pointed to the plate of food across from Sly. Natasha's eyes bulged.

"Sly Cooper!" She ran over to Sly like a crazed fangirl. "I'm a _big_ fan of your work!" Faye walked over, closing the door behind her. "And that's Bentley, the brains!" Natasha pointed to Bentley, "And that's Murray, the brawn and driver!" she pointed to the pink hippo who was preoccupied with a video game.

"So what, you're a thief too?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"I've tried to be one, but my stepfather wouldn't allow it. He said it would wreck his reputation," Natasha frowned and stroked Josie's fur. "Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Natasha Venery and this," Natasha looked at the cat, "Is Josie." Natasha put Josie down on the floor and folded her hands.

"Well Natasha," Sly grinned, "Would you like to spend the day with us?" Natasha's eyes lit up and she fell backwards, fainting in Faye's arms.

"I think that's a yes," said Faye. She picked up Natasha and carried her to her bedroom. "I'll be back." Faye entered her room and set the panther on the bed and covered her up. Josie ran into the room and snuggled next to Natasha. Faye left the room and closed the door to a crack. She turned back to the breakfast table. "I don't get it. When I met her, she was in tears and when she met you," her eyes feel upon Sly, "She was hysterical."

"The Cooper Cure. Works every time," Sly smirked as Faye approached the table. She grabbed the seat in front of her breakfast and sat down.

"I think you really brightened her day, Sly," she smiled.

"Sly. Murray. I need your help with something," said Bentley.

"Anything you want me to do?" Faye asked.

"No, no. I just need them. Go on and finish your breakfast." Bentley hopped off his chair and walked on over to the door. Sly put down his paper, gathered his plate, and put it in the sink. Murray pressed the 'off' button on the console and followed Sly and Bentley out the door. Faye watched as Sly closed the door behind him and chowed down on her frozen food. By the time she was done eating, Murray, Bentley, and Sly were still gone. Faye gathered her plate and placed it on top of Sly's in the sink. Stifled laughter came from her room. Faye looked from the door to her room back to the front door and headed for her room. She peeked inside her room and her eyes bulged. Natasha was sitting on Faye's bed with Faye's laptop in front of her and Josie in her lap. The teenager dashed over and saw that Natasha was reading a document entitled 'Names for that Dodo-Head.' Natasha caught Faye's eyes.

"Oh. Sorry," she half-heartedly laughed. Faye sighed,

"It's okay."

_'Thank goodness she didn't read my journal entries.'_

"Just who is 'Dodo-head'? Do you have a grudge against her or something?" asked Natasha, stroking Josie's fur.

"Yeah. You could say that." Faye sat down next to the panther. "Her name's Neyla. She's a real pain in the neck." Natasha winced at the traitor's name.

"Ooo… I see why you have a grudge against her." Natasha added 'sneaky double-crosser' to the bottom of the list. "A cousin of mine was tricked by her into doing her history homework at an exclusive British university. He said Interpol offered Neyla a job after her homework ring was busted."

"They believed she could 'get inside the head of the criminal element,' right?" asked Faye, giving a partial disappointed smirk.

"Yeah. How do _you_ know?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"It's a long and confusing tale," sighed Faye. "I don't even have all the details yet." She put her right hand on her forehead and shook her head. "To put it as simply as possible, Neyla's the reason I became a thief. However, the way she did it used me as a pawn in her sick n' twisted game just like everyone else. The only good thing that's come out of this is that I was able to meet and join Sly's gang." She took her right hand off her temples and grimaced. She seemed lost in her thoughts as tears welled in her eyes. "So far, everyone and everything has betrayed me from a fellow contestant at Dimitri's Sing-Off to the Internet."

"You were at Dimitri's Sing-Off?" Natasha asked in an astounded tone. Faye nodded her head yes. "Who were you?"

"Destiny," she sniffed. Anger and sadness of deception hid behind Faye's eyes.

"_You_ were Destiny? But she was a tiger," Natasha said with confusion in her voice.

"Cat. Striped, orange cat costume," Faye said solemnly. She picked up the sewn-up cat costume off the ground and showed it to Natasha. The little panther took it and held it in her hands.

"No way!" Faye gave a half smile and wiped away her tears with her right arm,

"Yes way," Faye shuddered, "Dimitri _touched_ my hand. Do you have _any_ idea how creepy it is to have Dimitri the Lounge Lizard _touch_ your hand?"

"Um…no. And there's no way that _you_ could be Destiny."

"Wanna bet?" Faye raised an eyebrow in challenge. She had stopped sobbing and was now in her usual mood, though she held her true thoughts and emotions to herself.

"Only the _real_ Destiny could sing 'Future' the way she does," Natasha said as she crossed her arms. Faye cleared her throat and began,

"Seeing the future isn't so bad.

You can see what's to happen and what's to be had.

I've seen the rise of a righteous band

And the fall of a 'prestigious' man," Natasha joined in,

"**_I've seen the destruction of a wicked bird_**

_**But you wouldn't believe it if you heard.**_

_**Because the future can be hard to believe**_

**_But the time has come close for my prophecy's eve._**"

Natasha gasped and said quietly,

"You _are_ Destiny…But I thought you said your name was Faye?"

"It is. Destiny was just a name I came up with to enter the contest. Thing is, the Klaww Gang's out for me and I didn't want to get caught," she explained.

"You…went in under Dimitri's nose…?" Natasha suddenly burst out laughing, "You…you fooled them good! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" She rolled off the bed in laughter, pounded the floor with her fist, and continued laughing. She soon calmed down and wiped a tear of delight away from her right eye. She had laughed so hard that she had cried.

"Yeah…" Faye chuckled a bit as she trailed off.

"You. Are. Awesome!" Natasha's eyes were full of amazement as she popped back up to Faye's eye level, "A friend of mine showed me a video she shot of the Sing-Off before I ran away! I loved you on stage! You totally rock!" she said rather quickly, pumping her fists in the air. Faye was still trying to process the words through her mind when Natasha brought out a picture of her on stage singing from her backpack.

"Can you autograph this for me?" she pleaded.

"I don't have…" Natasha hastily pulled out a pen from her backpack and held it out to Faye, "…a pen. Thanks." Faye took the pen and wrote 'Destiny' in the lower left-hand corner. It hadn't been too long since the Sing-Off and she was already giving out autographs.

Faye smiled warmly as she handed the pen and picture back to Natasha,

"You sing wonderfully." Natasha looked up from the signature and her eyes were lit up again,

"Really!"

"Yep." Faye glanced at the doorway then looked Natasha squarely in the eye. "I'm about to tell you something not even Sly, Bentley, Murray, or Inspector Carmelita Fox know."

"You mean the policewoman who always chases Sly?" Faye nodded 'yes'.

"The only ones who do know about it are the Klaww Gang, Neyla, and me. Now you can't tell anyone this. Understand?" Natasha smiled and nodded,

"Uh huh. I'm really good at keeping secrets!"

"The thing is," she took a deep breath, "I'm not from this world."

"What?" Faye took out the schematics from her pocket and opened them.

"It's called the 'Dimension Disrupter'. I stole them while at Rajan's palace. He's a member of the Klaww Gang," she added as if answering an unasked question.

"I know. My stepfather had their profiles. I heard they had the Clockwerk parts. …Are you and Sly taking them down?"

"Yep. Heh… You're sure knowledgeable."

"Thanks. I've looked at a lot of my stepfather's reports." Faye lifted an eyebrow,

"Your stepfather works at Interpol?"

"Yeah. He said thieves were dirty, rotten, double-crossers that would rather steal your money than your time. He was confusing at times." Natasha shook her head and looked back at Faye. "So are you _really_ from another world? But that's impossible!"

"Hard to believe, I know. I have to show Bentley so he can decipher it." Natasha bent down closer to the paper.

"…It looks like the Clockwerk wings."

"What?" Faye's eyes widened a bit.

"From here it looks like the Clockwerk wings." Faye flipped the blueprints around and sure enough a part of the schematics looked like the Clockwerk wings.

"No way…" Faye looked the paper over carefully and found several figures that looked like the Clockwerk heart, lungs, stomach, eyes, and talons. "Then this means the entire thing is made of Clockwerk parts," Faye spoke low and slowly. She held a bewildered look as she was taken aback by the new discovery. "Then…Clockwerk's power was used to bring me here. …And his power…must have gone through me." Faye held her hands up to her face. She whispered to herself, "She was right."

_'I feel sick.'_

"But ripping the space-time continuum is only a theory. There's no way it could actually be possible." Faye peered up.

"Historic Magazine. Future possibilities issue," Natasha stated bluntly. Faye held her stomach and shuddered. Natasha frowned,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…Just sickened," Faye said hoarsely. "I…am going to _kill_ Neyla."

"Isn't that a tad rash?"

"Not for what she's doing and done. Ugh… I can't let her get away with it." Faye lay down on the bed as her eyes fluttered shut. "I need to lie down."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye stood in a lone spotlight in the otherwise pitch-black space.

"Hello? Older self? Faye?" her voice was captured by the darkness and barely echoed. Another spotlight came on and revealed Older Faye.

"Yes?" answered Older Faye.

"The Dimension Disrupter. It really is entire run by Clockwerk parts," Faye shifted her eyes to the floor.

"It's hard to take in. I didn't completely believe it at first either. I was exposed to Clockwerk's energy on more than one occasion, counting when I was brought to Sly's world." Younger Faye looked up,

"What? How, when?" Older Faye held concern in her eyes.

"I shouldn't tell you." Younger Faye held her hands tightly together near herself as her eyes pleaded to know what happened. "It would be better if I showed you." Older Faye waved her hand across the darkness and in a bright flash they were inside a building. They floated above near the rafters, but were standing as if on solid ground. Below were Dimitri, Rajan, the Contessa, Jean Bison, Arpeggio, and Neyla. Countless wires and tubes led to a containment capsule leaning on the wall. The Clockwerk wings were attached to the sides and the Clockwerk eyes were seated neatly on the inside. If there were any other Clockwerk parts, they were unseen. Next to it was a console that was most likely used to control the container's settings.

"So when is that little brat going to get here?" Jean asked impatiently.

"Patience Jean. Not everyone can traverse the ice fields as well as you," said Neyla, glaring at him briefly.

"Ah! Here comes the kitty-cat now!" said Dimitri. A young Faye walked into the room with a serious expression on her face. Younger Faye gasped as she stared at her alternate self.

_'Unbelievable!'_

"Greetings Faye," welcomed Rajan.

"So good of you to come," said the Contessa as she put her hands together.

"It's time to get down to business. Faye, it has come to our attention that in your current condition you cannot help us take on the Cooper Gang," Arpeggio announced to the alternate Faye.

"Stop," the alternate Faye said sternly, "I have to ask: what are you really doing with the Clockwerk parts?"

"We told you dear," Neyla walked up to Faye and put her paw on the girl's shoulder, "We were doing it for the…" Faye pushed off Neyla's paw.

"'Good of the world'? Then why keep them? Why not destroy them like the Cooper Gang wants to?" The Klaww Gang looked at one another.

"You have to understand…" Faye interrupted Neyla.

"I understand perfectly. You're using me to get to them. Well not anymore." Faye started to turn and walk off.

"I really shouldn't have done that," said Older Faye. Younger Faye glanced up to her then back down beneath her. Arpeggio had opened the chamber and Jean Bison was approaching Faye.

"No one leaves the Klaww Gang," said Neyla. Jean grabbed Faye by her arms and lifted her off the ground. He turned around as she kicked and screamed,

"Let me go! You won't get away with this!"

"Oh but we already have," said the Contessa. Jean roughly pushed Faye inside the capsule and slammed the door shut. The Contessa pressed a button on the console and something clicked from inside. She smirked as she began pressing buttons and pulling levers on the console. Faye pounded on the door, but it wouldn't open.

"I swear this isn't over! You won't kill them! I won't allow it!" she yelled. Faye kicked the door then tried ramming it with her shoulder.

"You'll never get the chance," Neyla said. She turned to the Contessa, "Do it." The hypnotherapist pulled a lever and Faye let out a bloodcurdling scream as Clockwerk's energy surged through her. Neyla smirked as the screaming soon stopped and the image faded out.

"The machine aged me three years older within the next few days," said Older Faye. Younger Faye looked up. "…giving me the knowledge I needed and taking away what I had learned. It took Bentley to jog my memory. Now you're going to have to wake up soon so there isn't much time left."

"Before I wake up and I go back to the real world, or whatever it is," Younger Faye said quickly, "can I ask one last thing?"

"What is it?"

"For the sake of less confusion, can I call you 'Yami Faye'?" Older Faye crossed her arms,

"'Yami'? You mean dark?"

"Yes. It gets confusing cause you look older but you're just the same age as me."

"Actually I'm fifteen, but you have a point." Older Faye searched the ground for a moment and stood up straight. "Sure, you can call me Yami Faye. Or Yami for short. Now, you've got to go."

"Alright. Bye Yami!"

"Goodbye…" Everything faded into a flash of white.

"Faye… Faye. Faye, Sly's here!" Natasha's kind voice rang out. Faye opened her eyes and a gray blob was in the bedroom doorway. Faye rubbed her eyes and focused.

"Oh. Hi Sly," she said. Faye sat up and stretched her arms out behind her. The laptop beside her was off and closed shut. The Dimension Disrupter schematics were barely sticking out the side of the compact computer. Natasha was standing next to her bouncing up and down on her toes impatiently.

"Come on, come on, come on!" She grabbed Faye's hand and pulled her off the bed. "Sly wants to show us something!" Sly exited the room as Natasha pulled Faye along.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," Faye chuckled. Inside the living room, Bentley was sitting at the breakfast table with his portable projector pointed at a projection screen where the television used to be. The television itself was sitting on the ground. Bentley connected a small object to the projector and grabbed a seat on the sofa next to Murray who was scarfing down a bucket, a literal bucket, of popcorn like it was the only food left on Earth and all life would end the next day. Sly flicked off the light switch and leaped up on top of the sofa as Natasha excitedly sat beside him beaming. Bentley and Murray scooted over to make room for Faye in the center. Bentley pressed a button on what looked like a small remote and a picture of the sleeping guards from Rajan's palace Faye had taken were in front of the group. Bentley, Murray, and Sly snickered and Natasha laughed out loud as Faye said,

"So I take it this is a slide show of last-minute replacements for guards injured by an atomic wedgie?" Natasha held her stomach and leaned backwards, nearly falling off the couch. Sly laughed and said,

"Not exactly. Keep watching." Another picture came up, this time of Dimitri typing in the code for the underground pump room.

"He never knew I was there," commented Sly. The little panther watched with anticipation and tried to stop laughing.

"You'd think those guards could see farther than their flashlight's distance," said Faye.

"Actually, some of them are short-sighted," explained Bentley. The brainy turtle pressed the button again and a third pic came up on the screen. This time it was of Faye leaning against a building overlooking the ocean. The next one was Faye looking at the person who got the last picture. The next ones came faster until it was like a movie. The Faye on screen held her mouth open agape and started making hand threats as if to say 'stop taking my picture or else!,' 'stop it!,' and 'that's it!' Faye had soon tackled the person taking pictures as the pics soon showed. It was an overhead view of Faye holding the camera, but it had gone off so it showed Sly on the ground as the one who took her picture. The next pictures were from the top of the building Faye had been leaning against. Someone had taken multiple photos of Faye wrestling with Sly to keep him away from the binocucom. Faye fell into the bay, but grasped Sly's tail so he fell in too.

"Good thing the water was shallow," commented Sly.

"I swear you're all out to get me," said Faye as she crossed her arms and gave a screwed up smile. The next slide was of Faye singing 'Future' on stage back in Dimitri's nightclub. The angle was obviously from a thief's point of view since a normal person couldn't get an above shot without being noticed.

"Oh my gosh! That's you!" Natasha squealed in excitement and began biting her nails. Faye's eyes shifted to Sly.

"You did that, didn't you?" she glared. Sly grinned.

"You were great up there. There's no need to be embarrassed." Faye blushed madly and returned her attention to the screen which already had another pic up. It was of Sly dancing with Carmelita from a high view. The only one who could have gotten that shot was Murray. Sly seemed amused at this and simply smiled.

"I see you enjoyed your mission, Sly. Thanks for getting the shot Murray," said Faye.

"So I take it you weren't in the ballroom the whole time?" asked Bentley.

"Yeeeaaaaah...I scraped with an enemy of mine, remember? I got in the fray before the song was half over."

"Who did you get in a fight with?" questioned Sly.

"A very evil person. Let's just leave it at that," said Faye as she recalled the encounter.

"_**You're a pitiful excuse for a thief."**_

_'Am I really a thief? I've done nothing to contribute to the team. …I've got to do something; I've got to try harder to be a better thief.'_

**Click.** Faye looked up to see that the next slide had come up. It was herself dancing with Rajan.

"You danced with Rajan?" Natasha asked in an astounded tone.

"Uh huh. You just love torturing me, don't you?" Faye peered over at Sly.

"I'm not the one who took that picture," he replied. Faye, Natasha, and Sly stared at Murray and his nearly empty bucket of popcorn.

"What?" he asked with his mouth full. They stayed quiet and turned back to the screen.

"How do you know about Rajan?" Bentley inquired Natasha.

"My stepfather works in Interpol," she said bluntly. Bentley and Sly's eyes widened and Murray choked down some popcorn and exclaimed hoarsely,

"What?"

"Hey, Carmelita works in law enforcement. Why be agitated by someone working at Interpol?" Faye asked, using logic to coax the guys out of their shocked state. It seemed to work as Sly, Bentley, and Murray shook it off.

"Let's continue," said Bentley. He pressed the button again and the next slide came up. It was of Bentley playing Black Jack back in Monaco.

"Fifty-two games in a row," Faye murmured.

"Man Bentley, you _dominated_ everyone!" Murray said loudly. Multiple slides went by of Carmelita, Sly, Bentley, Murray, various guards, the Klaww Gang, and a wedgied guard. Everyone laughed out loud and Natasha fell off the couch. Murray guffawed, Bentley fell on the back of his shell, and Sly tried prevented himself from following Natasha in rolling onto the ground. Faye covered her eyes with her right hand and didn't see the next slide come up until she unmasked her eyes. But her reaction wasn't joyous. Tears welled in her widened eyes as she took in the freeze frame. It was Rexus talking to her back at Rajan's palace. Faye hid her trust broken by him behind her eyes and got up.

"I…need to get some air." She exited the room into the mid-day light.

"Faye..." Sly started but she had already shut the door. The light blinded her for a moment as she climbed a nearby fire escape. At the top, Faye hung her feet off the edge of the building. Everything was getting to her: Neyla watching her every move, how stupid she had been to leave evidence of her identity around, being used as a pawn, the feeling of never seeing her home, friends, or family again, Rexus betraying her, knowing that the Klaww Gang wanted her to kill the Cooper Gang. Everything.

"I wish I could just reverse it all," she said quietly to herself.

"_Don't give up,"_ called out Yami Faye's voice.

"Why not? There's nothing I can do to…"

"_Yes there is! Don't give up! It's not like you to just give in and quit! You have the power; the will to help stop the Klaww Gang! You are their weakness! You can help the Cooper Gang!"_

"How? I'm just…"

"_No! You can make the difference! Or do you want it to end this way, sulking about what you can't change? You may not be able to reverse what happened, but you can prevent the False reality! Not just for Sly and his gang but for Carmelita, Natasha, and everyone else who lives in this world whether they're young, old, smart, or ignorant. It's your knowledge that can turn the tides of Fate!"_ Faye took it in and thought for a second. She stood up with a broadening smile on her face.

"You're right, Yami. I'll do it. I can overthrow Fate. Yeah!" Faye pumped her fist into the air and put her hands on her sides. She climbed back down the fire escape and Sly met her at the bottom.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Faye beamed back,

"Of course I am! I said I just needed some fresh air." Sly grinned back and they walked back in to finish the slide show.

* * *

SQ: Sorry if it seemed to end abruptly, but I wanted to get this up before New Years. I think there was more dialogue than anything else in this chapter. …I was out of whack with my Writer's Block okay? I was working constantly for new ideas. Now that I think about it, why didn't I just start off in Episode 3? …My brain is very complicated. I figured if elephants could roam around Rajan's levels and Murray could eat a hamburger then Faye could have a pet. (Thunks head on desk) Unfortunately that pet came with Natasha. Oy… She came out of no where when I thought this chapter up.

Natasha: Hello! I can't believe I got to hang out with Sly! (Faints)

Faye: (Catches Natasha) I've got her.

SQ: Thanks Faye. And now I have to rethink the scenes I had in mind so hang on for sudden stops in the story. I drove over my writer's block with a steamroller twice to get this up, seriously crushing it to no end. Which is probably why Natasha came up when I was fighting it off with a flamethrower. Now that this is out of the way there won't be many stops unless something comes up. Until next time, please review if you have the time!

Faye: Keeps her sane. See you later.


	13. Faye's New Gadget

Sorry for the wait. Some things kept me from getting this up. Anyway, it's nearly party-time for the goal I had ever since I joined this place. Which goal? You'll see in about four chapters or less, and no it's not anything really related to this story. If some things seem familiar and have been seen earlier that's because they are. Now that we can continue I am very, very happy. (Gives creepy grin)

Faye: You're going to scare Natasha.

SQ: She's still here?

Natasha: Yeppers! Thank you all for reviewing! Wheeee! I'm Mini-Faye! (Runs off)

Faye: (looks at SQ) I am _not_ going after her again.

SQ: I'll do it then. (turns back) Until now I haven't been sure what to call the pack on Sly's thigh. However, MarineManiac got a book that called it a leg pack. Whatever it is, I prefer my version. I know it's ridiculous mentioning such a trivial thing but I just wanted that out of the way. Also, I made two different intros for this chapter (further explained at the end), but I liked them both so I combined them into one with flashbacks here and there. There's going to be _a lot_ of switching from flashbacks, to reality, to another one of Faye's dreams that made me rewrite the first chapter.

Faye: Hey-

SQ: Now, go on and read the next chapter while I search for our little guest.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Sly Cooper, why would I be writing a **fanfiction**? No, I don't own Sly if you didn't get the answer.

_Chapter 13: Faye's New Gadget  
_

"In here," Faye quietly called to Sly and the others, as she entered the giant skull that was now the safe house. It was raining cats and dogs outside as a drenched Natasha came in soon after, holding Faye's old crowbar and shivering.

"I _hate_ water," she complained. Water dripped off her and onto the floor as she rubbed her arms for warmth. Faye glanced over at the orphan. It had not been long since Natasha showed up and went all fangirl on Sly and Faye. In fact, soon after the slide show, Bentley had announced that he had pinpointed Rajan's exact location thanks to their combined efforts. Now Faye stood shivering in the corner with her cat costume on while Sly, Bentley, and Murray came in after the panther.

"Meow?" Josie poked her head out of Natasha's sweatshirt, jumped out, and shook off some rainwater.

_'Oh, how I envy that cat.'_

"At least _she's_ dry," Faye muttered through chattering teeth.

"Well you better get used to it," Bentley spoke up as he set up his laptop on the stone table, "Because we'll have to withstand the weather to get to the Clockwerk Heart."

"Y-y-yeah, yeah. I know." Faye set her cane against the wall and wrung out her hair, making another puddle of water on the ground. "The only thing that could make this perfect, would be if-" Lightning flashed outside and the heavens rumbled. Faye walked up to the opening in the safe house and looked out into night sky. "…lightning struck. Great." She sighed and turned away from the worsening storm outside. She sat at the makeshift table as Josie hissed at the lightning, as though challenging it.

_'Sitting in the van was better than this.'_

_-Flashback-_

Faye huddled in the back left of the Cooper team van. Between the Clockwerk tail feathers, wings, Bentley, Natasha, Josie, and various odds and ends, it wasn't easy to find room. Faye kept looking at the Clockwerk parts as if trying to figure something out.

"I can't believe she suckered you into coming, Sly," Bentley said to the Master Thief riding shotgun. Sly and Murray were the only ones not cramped up in the vehicle, although the wings were causing Sly to duck a little in his seat.

"Aw, come on Bentley! I couldn't say 'no' to that face," Sly said as he grinned. Faye chuckled to herself as she watched Natasha grin widely and gaze at Sly.

"Natasha sit down!" commanded Bentley as she leaned over him and his laptop, inching closer to Sly.

"Oops. Sorry," she replied and sat back down between the turtle and Faye. Bentley resumed typing on his laptop as Natasha fiddled with her fingers. Faye focused on the collected Clockwerk parts in front of her, concentrating again on a question that eluded an answer.

"Meow!" Josie curled up in her lap and quickly went to sleep. Natasha yawned and laid down on a white pillow with a dark blue case that Faye had brought. Faye smiled and let out a yawn as well but shook it off.

"You should get some sleep, Faye. It's going to take a while before we get to Rajan's temple," said Sly, turning back to Faye. She leaned against a pillow like Natasha's and adjusted her shoulder blades to get comfortable.

"Can't wait to get there," she murmured to herself. Faye yawned and soon fell asleep.

_-End Flashback-_

"'The Murray' is not afraid of a little water and lightning," Murray said in his 'heroic voice,' abruptly stirring Faye from her thoughts.

"Easy there big guy," Sly chuckled, wringing out his hat.

"Let's just get this thing over with," Faye said, "After the spiders, the quicksand, and the snakes-"

"Definitely the snakes," Natasha interjected, petting Josie.

_-Flashback-_

Natasha whimpered as multiple snakes of different sizes were nearing her feet. She backed up slowly as one hissed at her, flickering its forked-tongue. But before the snakes could get any closer, Faye was quickly by her side with a fiery stick. Josie hissed at the snakes as Faye swung the burning branch at them. They hissed at Faye as they retreated back to their nest. Sly put his arms on Natasha's shoulder and swiftly led her away from the nest, followed by Murray, Bentley, and Faye.

_-End Flashback-_

"I just want to get out of here as soon as possible," she finished.

_'And try to save Sly and Murray. I have to do something before it gets out of hand.'_

"Well," Bentley started as he sat down, "it's going to be a while before I get a fair grasp of our surroundings. So you might want to get comfortable." Faye sighed as Sly and Murray sat at the table with her. Natasha pretended to fight an enemy with Crow and swung the pry bar in the air. Faye was impressed with her; usually kids around her age would have blabbed off on recently collected information but Natasha hadn't said a single word about the Dimension Disrupter schematics since she had shown them to her. Faye watched as Natasha took a fighting stance and continued whacking the invisible foe and dodging its attacks.

_-Flashback-_

Faye unlocked the back doors of the team van and pushed them open. She hopped out in the fading twilight sky with her cane and cat suit in hand, leaving her laptop behind, and met up with Sly and Murray putting huge leaves on the van under some trees to camouflage it. Murray looked to be holding a machete to cut down the foliage that would be in their path. Soon, Natasha, Josie, and Bentley with his crossbow came out of the vehicle. Faye eyed Natasha and Josie, knowing that with the upcoming events, it would not be safe for either of them to come. But before she could get anything out, Natasha bounced on her toes as she eagerly asked,

"So when do we get to beat up some guards!" She flashed her claws as a few rays of light shined on them through the heavy storm clouds over head. Bentley closed the van doors and helped the guys cover the vehicle with the giant leaves.

"Natasha," started Faye.

"What?" she asked her curiously, tilting her head to the side.

"No claws," said Faye.

"But…"

"No." Sly held in a chuckle at the reoccurring events as if they were back at Dimitri's nightclub.

"Then what's my weapon going to be?" Faye put her right hand on her chin and held her right elbow in her left hand as she thought. She snapped her fingers,

"Got it!" Faye reopened the van doors for a moment, reached inside, and pulled out ol' Crow. She closed the doors and held it out to Natasha, "Here." Natasha took it with her free hand and retracted her claws.

"A crowbar?" she peered at Faye with a puzzled face, giving her serious déjà vu.

"It was my first weapon before I got this," Faye twirled her cane around and stuck it in the ground. Natasha's mouth opened agape and she gasped,

"Really? Wow… Okay then!" She looked over 'Crow' and tried twirling it like Faye did but only succeeded in dropping it.

"Don't worry; you'll get it," Faye assured while smiling broadly. Natasha grinned from ear to ear and Josie meowed happily. By now Sly, Bentley, and Murray had camouflaged the van really good. If you didn't know better, you'd say there never was a van ambiguously hidden within the pile of leaves and close trees. Faye peered down the hill they were on. Below was a sea of trees and hours of walking to the temple where Rajan was hiding. Off in the distance was an Indian home much like Rajan's. It was big, fancy, and many exotic smells reached Faye's nose. Flame broiled fish, freshly picked fruits and vegetables, and a complex variety of smells that would make your mouth water, like Natasha's. She had drifted over past the gang and had her nose in the air. Even Josie had caught the scent. Faye licked her lips as she imagined what kind of food was being served. Roast beef, steak, salads with many fruit; and that was just the appetizer. Sly approached Faye.

"Talk about déjà vu, huh Faye?" he said teasingly. Faye held up her right index finger to Sly's face,

"Don't you dare get me started." Faye looked like she wanted to say more but kept it to herself. Sly grinned and chuckled as Faye turned her attention back to the tempting aromas.

"Alright fellas, let's head through the jungle," stated Bentley as Murray took the lead. It only made sense for him to be in front if they came across any danger. Natasha and Faye groaned to themselves as they followed "The Murray's" lead.

_-End Flashback-_

"So how much time will it take?" Faye asked wearily as she crossed her arms on the table and set her head on them.

"A while. You might want to get some rest," Bentley said with his eyes on his laptop. Faye suppressed a yawn,

"I already took one before we got here."

"It was a long walk," Sly said, putting his cane down on the table. "Go on and get some sleep, Faye. It'll do us no good if you fall asleep during a job."

"Yeah…well…" she yawned. "Well… Just…for…a while…"And just like that, she was out like a light.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Two teenage girls stood on a rooftop under the cloudless sky as a full moon hung overhead. One had long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. She wore a solid green sweatshirt and blue denim jeans. The other had shoulder-length black hair and mysterious bright blue eyes and wore a purple long-sleeved shirt and black pants.

"Trinity, do you think it's possible to go to other worlds like Sly Cooper's?" asked the blonde as she stared intently at the moon.

"Traveling to other worlds?" Trinity glanced over at her pal. "Do you really want to get away from your parents that badly, Faye?" Faye searched the ground and shook her head.

"Ugh! They fight over the most trivial things! It's so stupid!" She brought her hands down as fists to her sides, "I hate it! Today when I stopped by to see if they had calmed down, they were talking about Halloween and it turned into a yell fest about something that happened _three_ years ago!" Trinity gazed at the moon as Faye slowly peered up.

"You ask if it's probable for humanity to travel to other realms outside our own."

"You sound like a Mystic when you do that," Faye said with a slight smile and laugh.

"It's how I am. You know that," Trinity smirked. The two gazed at the moon for a moment, lost in their thoughts. Faye broke the silence first,

"…Has anyone ever made a wish on the moon?" Trinity tilted her head as she thought,

"I suppose…But who would break away from the traditional stars; those planets that float in the eternal abyss that is space?"

"You're doing it again," Faye said with a chuckle. Trinity gave a quiet laugh as well and asked,

"So, are you going to make a wish on the moon above us or you going to make me wait for a millennia?" Faye put her hands together and entwined her fingers as she kept her eyes on the moon,

"The moon is a thief's worst enemy. It's light can determine whether the thief stays hidden or is revealed. But tonight I make a wish on a thief's enemy. I wish to one day travel to Sly Cooper's world." Trinity raised an eyebrow,

"Now who sounds like a Mystic?" Faye smirked as she followed Trinity down a ladder off the roof.

"Faye… Faye…!" echoed a voice, "Faye!" Faye's eyes shot open to a face full of black fur.

"Gah!" Faye exclaimed. She shot her head back in surprise and almost fell off her seat. She steadied herself and let out a sigh of relief. Murray was sitting at the table still, apparently waiting for some action, Sly was doing some exercises to ready himself, and Natasha was sitting in the raccoon's seat with Josie in her lap.

"Yeah? What is it?" Faye asked.

"I've finished analyzing our surroundings," Bentley said, pressing a few more buttons on his laptop. "Now, I need you and Sly to get some reconnaissance photos." Faye wore a puzzled expression,

"But I don't have a binocucom. How am I supposed to get some photos?" Bentley rummaged through his backpack on the floor and took out a navy blue binocucom with an orange underside.

"Here you go Faye," he said giving it to her. Faye's mouth opened slightly at the sight of her own gadget. She took the device and held it gingerly in her hands, looking it over in awe.

_'Oh my gosh! I got a binocucom! This is the single most important day in my life!'_

"Wow… My own binocucom…" she murmured to herself, trying to suppress her urge to jump for joy.

"Aw, cool!" Natasha said excitedly, leaning towards Faye. The panther looked like she was going to go through the roof. It was only imaginable what Natasha would do if she actually had one.

"To activate it, press the red button on the side. I've equipped it with a spycam, much like Sly's," Bentley explained as Faye and Natasha examined every nook and cranny of the new binocucom, "It's waterproof and I have included a new beta feature that I've been meaning to test." They looked up. "It can record up to thirty seconds of intonation. Highly useful when overhearing a Klaww Gang member's plans."

"Kind of what police use when recording messages after a crime? They use the gathered info later for whatever they need," Natasha said, keeping her eyes on the shiny new binocucom.

"Correct. Now you better go. The weather has lightened up a bit but I doubt it's going to stay like that," Bentley said as Faye carefully put the binocucom in her pack. She grabbed her cane and walked with Sly out the door.

Outside, the rain had turned into a drizzle but the dark clouds overhead threatened to turn violent again. Ahead of the duo was the main entrance to the temple, easily noticeable by the colossal elephant statue sticking out of the cliffs. Towering trees surrounded the temple and mosquitoes were swarming in various places. Sly took out his own binocucom and searched the grounds, most likely for the holographic marker.

_'I was able to avoid the snakes at Rajan's palace only because I stayed as far away as possible. Shoot, I probably disturbed some while running here and there but passed them up. I wonder if Sly took care of any? …Darn darkness.'_

"I can hardly see anything," Faye said mostly to herself. Bentley came over her ear communicator, or earcom for short,

"Try out you're new binocucom. I'll be projecting a holographic marker for you. Try to find it." Knowing that hardly anything could be seen from her current location, Faye walked to the left side of the "mouth" and hopped down to the mushroom with Sly right behind her. She bounced safely on the ground near it and pulled out her binocucom just as Sly landed by her. She pressed a red button on one side and held it up. When she looked through, she noticed that it was just like Sly's with a few exceptions. Most of the color was navy blue and at the top where the Cooper logo should have been was an orange image of a cat's head. The lower left view screen turned to static for a moment before Bentley's face appeared,

"If you want me to change anything, just tell me."

"Oh no, no, no! I love it!" Faye quickly said, "I have to admit, this is very cool. Cooler than I had imagined." Faye scanned the temple until an orange marker caught her attention. "I see the marker! It's about north by north-east near the truck and waterfall."

"Good, now can-"

"Aw, cool!" Natasha's voice suddenly cut in and her face appeared in the left view screen, very close up. "Can you see me, Faye?"

"Meow." Josie inched in next to Natasha. Faye chuckled,

"Yes, I can see you very well." There was mumbling behind Natasha as she looked away for a second.

"Okay," she turned back. "I've got to get off. Get a good picture of Rajan for me! I'm making a collection."

"A collection of what?"

"Pictures and stuff of bad guys or places we go to. Bye!" Natasha disappeared off to the side as Bentley came back on.

"As I was saying," he began, "Can you find this next marker?" Faye did not have to look far. The next icon was in plain view of where she and Sly were heading.

"Spice Room Recon? The icons have labels?"

"That's right. Now if you want to record something, press the orange button on top for as long as you want to archive. Press the green button to take a picture." Faye messed around a bit and kept zooming in and out on the cat icon. "I see you already know how to zoom. If you have any questions, just ask."

"Gotcha, Blizzard," Faye joked and turned off the binocucom.

"I believe that's my line," Sly chuckled, "Let's go." He jumped off the structure with Faye right behind him. As they avoided a monkey guard and an approaching rhino guard, Yami's voice murmured in Faye's ear,

"_I forgot what kindness felt like."_ Faye and Sly crept around the right side of a tethered elephant. _"For so long I was surrounded by hatred, anger, and deceit… But the Cooper Gang is different…"_ The two reached a semicircular ring of columned archways. They jumped onto the first one and continued to make their way across the top of them. _"They have compassion; compassion I never recognized with the Klaww Gang. They gave me false hope and led me with lies."_ Sly and Faye began running across a vine leading to the last archway. Halfway across, Faye gasped as she lost her footing on the slippery vine and fell to the ground on her side.

**Thud!**

"_Are you okay?"_ Yami gasped. Faye rubbed her head as heavy footsteps caught her attention. She looked behind her and saw a rhino guard coming. Her eyes bulged as she tried to get up as soon as possible, but she slipped and fell again. Her heart thumped in her ears and the guard got closer. In an instant, Sly was by her. He helped Faye to her feet and took off for the Sly icon just before they would have been caught in the guard's flashlight. Upon getting to the symbol, Sly and Faye took out their binocucoms as Bentley contacted them,

"Sneak into the temple and take some recon photos so I can assess the situation. Just be careful, if either of you gets hurt the nearest hospital is a hundred and six miles from here." Faye winced.

_'Forgot about that. I've got to remember what happened during the jobs in this level.'_ Bentley interrupted her thoughts,

"According to my map of the area there should be a hidden passage into the temple behind that waterfall." Sly and Faye turned towards the nearest waterfall as the master thief smirked,

"Nice work Bentley, I'll take a hidden passage over the front door any day." As they put away their binocucoms and headed around the left side of the river, Yami spoke again,

_"You will have to be more careful, just as Bentley said. I remember that Rajan's men sometimes took some spice for themselves. Chances are, the guards around here are almost as aggressive as the Contessa's."_ Faye nodded in awareness as she and Sly came to a roadblock. A monkey guard patrolled the area they needed to get to and there was no way of going around him safely. They hid behind a carved stone and when the guard turned its back, Sly jumped out, lifted him into the air, and slammed the primate to the ground, knocking it out cold.

"At least there were no atomic wedgies this time," Faye commented to herself. Yami snickered a little as Faye and Sly headed past two more stone structures, although the raccoon never heard her.

"It was an accident," he said as he leaped over a gap in the road and landed on the other side.

"Uh huh. Yeah, sure." Faye got a running start and cleared the split earth in a single bound and ambled over to an iron grate. Sly pulled down a lever on it and raised the bottom bars just enough for them to squeeze through. He extended his hand towards the opening,

"Ladies first." Faye got down on her hands and knees and crawled through. Once on the other side, she got up and waited for Sly. When he joined her, they strolled into a rather large room with water being churned by machines at the bottom and monkey guards on their left. Sly brought out his binocucom as Faye studied the area they were in. Even though her binocucom wasn't out, she could still hear Bentley through her earcom,

"Bingo, you found the spice growing facility. Now, from what I know of photosynthesis all the expensive equipment should be found at the top of this room… That access tube should get you up there."

"Alright, I'm heading for the top," Sly put away his binocucom. As he approached Faye, a cobra emerged from a nearby basket. She **whacked** the serpent over the head with her cane, slaying the beast.

"Hate those things," Faye whispered.

"Come on, I see a way up," Sly whispered back. He walked past Faye to a broken column and hopped to it. As a curved part of the machine agitating the water came around, Sly jumped onto it in a way only a Cooper could. Faye followed after on a similar part and jumped to the other machine when she got the chance, catching her balance. She saw Sly clinging to a vine and a monkey guard just above him. The monkey guard edged near another guard and started talking to him,

"I think Rajan's too paranoid, Jim. He should have had some rhinos over here." Sly got to solid ground just as Faye grabbed the vine.

"At least we're dry, Ed." Faye got to the stone floor as well and crept along the adjacent wooden bridge. "Have you heard what Rajan's been talking about lately?" Faye tilted her head to hear more.

"No, what?"

"Well…" the monkey started whispering something into Ed's ear. Faye frowned a bit and turned back to the matter at hand. A rhino guard was patrolling around a pulley that carried up water from below. As she and Sly neared, she noticed something that seemed unbelievable. It was dim, but there were dark blue sparkles on the buckets of water.

_'It's…the aura! I thought I would never see it! This is astonishin__g!' _Faye smiled broadly and nearly ran behind Sly, but stopped short because of the rhino. Sly hopped on the first bucket that went up and over her head. Faye followed the rhino guard carefully and when another bucket came up she leaped on. She rose up, past a flashlight guard who curiously did not notice someone riding on the pulley, and over to what seemed to be a small garden of spice. She jumped off next to Sly and made both made their way across the bridge. Another cobra came out but Sly **thwacked** it over the head with his cane and into the water. When they got to another vine, Sly pulled out his binocucom as Bentley came over their earcoms,

"Some of the vines around here are really slippery, use the Rail Slide to go for a ride."

"You could have told us this before Bentley," Faye said to him. "Cause I kind of found out the hard way." A snake popped out of no where but Sly took care of it with a swing of his cane.

"Whew. Thanks Sly," Faye said.

"No problem." Sly was about to get on the vine when Faye grabbed his arm and stopped him,

"Um…I don't know how to Rail Slide." Sly put his cane in his mouth, picked Faye up, and jumped onto the vine. He spun around once, made Faye dizzy once again, and landed on the vine as he began to slide. They went past the entrance and stopped at a column when the vine went no further. Sly put Faye down but still held her left hand.

"The key is to keep your balance. Come on," he said as he jumped on the rope, without spinning this time, and helped Faye keep her balance. They halted at the access tube and went inside. They ascended the ladder inside to a small room looking out to their objective. Sly and Faye brought out their binocucoms as Bentley came over,

"Here we go. Time for a few recon photos."

"Don't forget my picture!" Natasha cut in. Sly aimed at Clockwerk's Heart as Faye clicked the Crane Controls. She got a few extra pictures of the room itself as Sly got the entrance. Faye got a picture of Rajan but he was holding something else besides a part of the heart. It looked like he was holding a photo of some kind and he kept stopping to stare at it.

_'What is that? He never had anything else in the game.'_ Faye tried to zoom in but couldn't get a good view. Bentley came over as Sly was putting up his binocucom,

"Hmm, bring those photos back to the safehouse…we'll really need to think about this one."

"Alright. Come on Faye," Sly whispered.

"Huh? Oh," Faye put up her gadget and left with Sly down the ladder, wondering what Rajan had been holding.

* * *

Yes, I know this chapter was shorter than the last one (by about two thousand words). I just wanted to get something up since you've all been waiting for a while and I needed to move the story forward. Now about the flashbacks, I had two openings to this but one was too big and one was too short yet I liked them both. My final decision was to combine them both and use the longer one in the flashbacks, although this caused the longer opening to be cut and altered. I might put up the longer, uncut version or something if I get around to it. I'll probably announce it later. **No Sly/Faye!** None of that. I've already got plans and that would ruin it. Anyway, if anything is confusing, like the difference between Faye thinking and Yami talking, tell me and if you can think of something that can clear it up, also tell me. If not, I'll try to think of something. In any case, I'll see you all in the next chapter.


	14. An Unfortunate Surprise

So here we are at chapter 14. For those of you who were wondering, yes I did get Yami's name from Yu-Gi-Oh! (not GX, the one before) although I officially chose her name in chapter 12, not in chapter 10 when she first appeared. Yami was the only name I found that seemed to fit her and I'm keeping it that way. Also, it has been pointed out that there is a slight case of Sly/Faye as a brother/sister relationship. Yes, that is true. It shall go no farther than that. (thunks head on desk) During part of this chapter, I was working on several documents dealing with scraps, notes, etc. I was trying to concentrate on a lot of things at once and the computer was set on small font and as a result I couldn't see the words "Do you want to save the changes you made to Sly as a Cooper 14?" very well. I clicked 'no' by mistake, taking about 500 words away from the word count. Luckily most of it was fresh in my mind and I got about 400 words back shortly after. The chapter changed for the better though so no worries.

Faye: You spent over an hour on that part getting everything right.

SQ: Yeah… So?

Faye: …You're unusually calm about this.

SQ: Really? I couldn't tell. Yes, I had to replace some words and it took awhile for a paragraph to come back, but I got it.

Faye: …

SQ: …Take over. (walks off)

Faye: Thank you. (turns to audience) She needs some down time, but for now enjoy the chapter. Oh, and it's a little shorter than usual so please excuse the shortness.

**Disclaimer: For the umpteenth time, SLY IS NOT MINE! …I wish he was but he's not. **

_Chapter 14: An Unfortunate Surprise  
_

Sly and Faye got back to the safe house just as it started raining again. He opened the door and walked inside with Faye right behind him, trying to get a straight expression on her face before anyone saw. Her mind raced with worries, questions, and theories but they were all soon put aside by a familiar voice.

"You're back! So did you get a picture of Rajan?" Faye's gaze fell upon Natasha who was jumping up and down in front of her and Sly.

"Yep. It's right here," Sly held up his binocucom. Natasha grabbed Sly in a bear hug while quickly saying,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She let go and sat at the table with her hands folded. She smiled widely as Sly and Faye came in. Just as she was shutting the door, Bentley called to her,

"Faye," she turned her attention to the brains of the group, "give me your binocucom. I need to download the photos you took into my laptop." Sly handed over his binocucom to Bentley as Faye smiled,

"Sure." She approached Bentley, took out her binocucom, and gave it to him. He took out a couple of cables from his backpack and connected them from his laptop to the front of Faye's binocucom as well as Sly's. Faye grabbed a seat and leaned back as she waited for Bentley to get the photos in order. Josie was asleep on the floor, Murray was watching Josie, Natasha was watching Bentley work, and Sly was waiting for Bentley to finish up his presentation. As she smiled at the group, everything around her faded into gloom and no sound reached her ears except for her own breathing. Thunder abruptly boomed and lightning lit up the area. Rain poured from the sky as Faye realized what was going on. She was holding her left shoulder and her sleeve was torn. She slowly took her hand off as her heart thumped faster. Her blood ran cold and her heart skipped a beat. On her shoulder was an icon of a world globe in the clutches of a bird's talons; it was the symbol of the Klaww Gang. Just as quickly as it came, the image faded and the sounds of the safe house returned. Everyone was facing towards one side of the room as a bright light appeared on it.

"The Clockwerk heart," began Bentley as a photo came up of two rhino guards patrolling below the Clockwerk heart, "is under some steep security. That Rajan is carrying half of it at all times. To get at the goods, I'll need to gather some more information. Sly will plant a bug in Rajan's office, while I lift the spice operation blueprints off the "Spice Lord" while he makes he rounds. I have also received word that Neyla is in the area and is willing to lend us a hand. It seems she has a secret about Rajan that may help us. Unfortunately, while we're collecting intelligence on _him_, he'll be collecting data on _us_ with an elephant driven satellite array! Take it out, or he'll be able to intercept all of our communications!" Faye opened her mouth to speak as the slide show ended, but Natasha jumped up and cut her off with enthusiasm,

"That satellite has to be the first thing to go!" Natasha held her fist up and grinned widely like someone in over their head about to go into a battle against a thousand enemies. Faye smiled and shook her head as she got up.

"That would be sensible as we can't accomplish any jobs as long as it's up and running," Bentley said as he gathered his sleep darts and started putting small, flat devices on them.

"Alright then. Let's go make a little satellite sabotage, shall we?" Faye said, twirling her cane around once and pointing it outside towards the satellite array.

"Right," Sly said as he got up and looked at Faye, "Let's go." She nodded as she and Sly walked out the door. 

_'Please, oh please let that vision be wrong. Oh **please**__!'_ They jumped off towards the bouncing mushroom and made it safely on top of the old stone ruins. They were soaked in just a few moments and Faye sighed quietly. She stayed silent as Sly pulled out his binocucom.

_"__Is something wrong Faye?"_ Yami echoed in the back of her head.

_"__It's just a vision I really hope doesn't come true,"_ Faye answered mentally.

_"__It could just be something from the False Reality." _

_"__But there was thunder and lightning…and it was raining," _Faye tilted her head to the sky as tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks, blending with the rain. Sly put away his binocucom as he spoke,

"Come on." He did not notice her crying as he began walking, leading the way to their destination. Faye wiped the tears away and followed Sly to some stone ruins that must have once served as a house or storage area. They bounced on a conveniently situated mushroom and made it on top where a monkey guard was patrolling. Sly knocked him out with his silent obliterator move and brought out his binocucom, aiming it at the satellite. Faye did too as Bentley came on in the left view screen and Sly in the right,

"Rajan is able to monitor all of our communications out here with that elephant driven satellite array."

"That's pretty grim," said Sly, "You got a plan for shutting it down?"

"Don't I always?" Bentley said with a hint of slyness in his voice. Faye took a look around and noticed a marker on something in a tree high up. She zoomed in to see what she and Sly had to collect. "Now, the local spice plants are illegal for good reason, eat too many and you'll go into a fit of uncontrollable rage."

"Keep that stuff away from Murray…" Sly muttered, "Oh wait, wait, I get it. We put some spice plants in the elephant's feed bag, he chows down, gets all crazy and then, Presto! The satellite's in pieces."

"A crude interpretation of the plan, but accurate. The trick here is harvesting the spice plants. You two will have to do some _serious_ climbing as they only grow high up in the jungle canopy." Bentley ended the communication and Sly and Faye put their binocucoms away.

"Let's split up. I'll start over there," Sly pointed northeast towards some long vines.

"And I'll start over there," Faye pointed towards the tall stone column where many vines intersected.

"Meet you back here then." Sly set out for his destination and Faye hers. She sneaked past the monkey guard on the ground and went on, avoiding a few rhino guards and monkeys along the way.

_"__You're lucky Faye,"_ Yami said solemnly as her younger self hid from a rhino's flashlight, _"I can't remember anything, yet you do. You remember mom and dad, I remember Neyla and Arpeggio,"_ Faye listened as the towering column grew near._ "You know compassion; I knew only lies, deceit, and hatred. You have everything I lost."_ Faye stayed in the shadows behind a structure as she mentally replied,

_"__I don't think you lost it, Yami. It was just obscured."_ Faye tiptoed past a monkey and behind a tree. Yami spoke with renewed realization in her voice,

_"…__You may be right. Maybe that's how the Dimension Disrupter works, by obscuring key components in someone's mind."_ Faye was now behind the structure that the pillar was built on. A nearby vine went up in a spiral that seemed to reach the top. _"I think you just cracked the Disrupter's code."_ She put her cane in her mouth and started climbing up the winding route to the top.

_"__Without_ _Bentley? Ha! If it was that easy, I would have already gotten home by now."_ Half way up the tower, the vine ended on a ledge, but another one was hanging down nearby. Faye grabbed it and climbed to the very top in seconds. She got up and looked around at the four vines stretching to different places.

"If it wasn't raining and I didn't have a job to do, I might've enjoyed this more," she muttered. The darkness hid the spice plants from her view, forcing her to take out her binocucom and find the markers Bentley was projecting. One was just down the vine to the east, sitting in plain view. Faye put her gadget away and took a deep breath. She let it out and leaped onto the vine. She immediately started sliding and leaned back to keep her balance. She wobbled a bit and sighed in relief. She was almost there when she wobbled again…and fell.

Faye instinctively wrapped her arms and cane around the vine and clung to it. She slid down to the tree and her head hit it, stopping her ride.

"Ouch," she winced. She looked straight ahead into the sky as a few raindrops aimed for her eyes. Faye sighed exasperatedly as she tried to think of a way out of her predicament. There she was, hanging on a slippery vine with her head near the top of the tree instead of her feet. "Okay. Think, think, think, think, think, think, think." She looked around at what she had. She could use her cane to hang on the vine, but then what? She really could not use much except for her earcom. "There is _no way_ I'm calling for help," she murmured. She hung there for a few moments longer before she came up with one idea that could work, but was risky. She positioned her cane on the vine and let go. She closed her eyes in doubt the cane would stay, but it did. She opened her eyes and faced the tree as she slammed into it. She grunted in slight pain and tried staying on her cane as it became harder to grasp. She got a good grip and quickly used her right hand to pull herself up. She extended the claws on her left hand and both feet and sunk them into the bark. She let go of her cane with her other hand and dung it into the tree, leaving her cane to hang there by itself. Faye clambered onto the flat surface of the treetop and breathed hard in relief. She grabbed her cane then the spice plant and pocketed the latter.

_"__Why didn't you call for help?"_ Yami asked her.

"Because," Faye answered aloud, "I don't want to seem like the damsel in distress who needs help doing everything. If I can find myself out of a bad situation without any help, then I can become stronger." She got up and gazed at her surroundings.

_"__But you're part of a team. You're **supposed** to rely on each other for help,"_ Yami reasoned.

"I guess…" Faye lowered her head, "I'm not exactly used to working with other people." Lightning cracked and struck somewhere miles away.

_"…__It has to do with mom and dad, huh?"_

"Yeah. They weren't always around…and I barely had any friends," she rested her cane's bottom near her feet, "There were only two who would even bother to be around me, but one moved away and I never saw him again. The other stayed by my side, but is still in the other world. I just hope the flow of time is different than at home." Faye put her cane in her mouth and began climbing a branch that extended to the stone pillar.

_"__Don't want to be here for a year and find out that the same amount of time has passed back at home," _she thought. She landed on the column again and took out her binocucom to search for another marker that Bentley was projecting. The orange target was south on another tree hovering just over the rage-inducing plant. Faye put up her binocucom, steadied her nerves, and hopped onto the vine. It was not as slippery as the one before and she was able to keep her balance as she slid down. Faye landed on the old treetop at the end and snagged the spice plant, stuffing it in her pack. With two of the illegal plants in her temporary possession, she turned around and leaped back onto the vine. There was a brief stall before she began sliding back and she leaped farther up the jungle foliage. She continued bounding upwards until she was once again at the top of the column. Her eyes grew adjusted to the darkness and she spotted something glistening in the light of thunder on a third treetop. Bentley's voice suddenly came from her earcom,

"If you happen to come across any green bottles with a question mark on them, make sure to collect the paper that's inside." Faye pushed a button on her earcom to reply,

"You mean clue bottles?"

"Yes. I need them to crack the code on Rajan's safe. I've already sent out Natasha to collect what she can."

"Natasha?"

"Yes. She wanted to do something besides just sitting around so I sent her out." Faye wasn't sure whether to be happy that Natasha was doing something and staying away from the main jobs, or worried that she might get caught or injured.

"Alright. I'll get whatever I can," Faye said, ending the discussion. She slid down the vine to the bottle and jumped off in front of it. She grinned, thinking about how Sly did cool stuff like grabbing stuff in midair and pulling off unneeded stunts all the time. Faye chuckled,

"Man he's arrogant."

_"__**That** I remember,"_ remarked Yami. Faye stifled a laugh as she continued, _"He wasn't too overbearing, but he always thought he could get away with anything."_

"That's our Sly," Faye said with a smile. She returned her attention to the clue bottle and with a swing of her cane, she broke the glass. She picked up the piece of paper from among the shards of shattered glass and unrolled it. Faye slouched a bit as if the word 'duh' had been stamped on her head. On the scrap of paper were letters and numbers that looked like complete gibberish. She dismissed it as part of the code Bentley needed and put it in her sidepack. She turned around and made her way back up the vine, leaping up during the delays. When she reached the top of the stone pillar, she looked towards the only area she had not been to: some ruins near the cliffs. She rode the last vine down to a tree where a clue bottle was, broke it, packed the scrap of paper, and hopped on a nearby vine, sliding the rest of the way to the ruins by the cliffs. She disembarked at the end of her ride and carefully watched where she stepped. The surface below her feet was uneven as if an earthquake had shaken the tiles out of alignment. She walked to the end and hopped next to a mushroom with a clue bottle on it. She pulled the paper out, put it away, and smashed the glass.

"_Wasn't that pointless?"_ Yami asked as Faye put her right hand on the ruins.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to seem cliché," Faye answered before she murmured, "It's real..." She took her hand off after a while and jumped on the mushroom, bouncing up to the top of the ruins she had just observed. As she peered over the top, she saw a monkey walking towards the other side. Suddenly and swiftly, a dark figure dropped from above, causing the monkey to stop and turn around in suspicion. His eyes widened and he reeled back with a spear in hand, aiming for the figure and probably go after Faye next. The figure, however, quickly grabbed the spear and tossed it and its owner into the river below with a **splash.**

"Hello, Faye," Neyla greeted. "How are things?" Faye glared and held her cane tightly. The darkness made it hard to see, but Faye knew the voice anywhere.

"If you were gone, just fine," she replied a bit sharply. Neyla ignored the acid in her voice and continued,

"You seem to be enjoying your time with Sly."

"What are you up to?" Faye demanded, "I'm still on to you and I'm not about to listen to your lies."

"Speaking of liars," Neyla said casually, putting her left hand on her hip, "have you been telling those friends of yours everything?" Faye raised an eyebrow. Neyla was being more suspicious than usual, and what the tigress was doing made Faye wonder what exactly she was getting at.

"Just what are you up to?" she asked cautiously, raising her cane in front of her.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. At least to you anyway." Faye clinched her fists and waved her cane in front of her towards the traitor.

"Be quiet! A witch like you has no place in this world!" Lightning flashed, allowing Faye to see that Neyla's left eye was closed and had a scar going down it vertically.

"And neither do you," Neyla said as she smirked.

"Wrong!" Faye said firmly and loudly. "I have a place in the hearts of Sly and the gang. While you," she pointed the hook end of her cane at Neyla, "have nothing. You betray everyone you come into contact with and are a disgrace to Interpol! You're nothing but a witch who charms others and gets them to do your dirty work for you!" Faye smiled, feeling good to have said what she did even if she was not sure of part of it.

"So you are saying that they would accept you no matter what?" Neyla asked nonchalantly. Now Faye was sure she was up to something. Faye spoke, trying to hide her nervousness,

"Y-yes. They don't care that I'm a human. They look deeper than that." Again, Faye was not too sure of what she said. Neyla smirked deviously. Faye's eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see it on the tigress' face.

_"__Be careful, Faye," _Yami's voice resonated within her mind, _"She could try anything."_ Faye kept her eyes on Neyla, completely focusing on her.

"Is that so?" The tone of Neyla's voice sent shivers down Faye's spine. Lightning flashed and before Faye knew it, Neyla was flying at her with something in her right hand. She used her cane to try and block Neyla as she came up to her left side, but to no success. Neyla held Faye's left wrist and pulled it, straightening out her arm. It happened so fast, Faye barely knew what had happened before a burning sensation came from her left forearm. She yelped in pain, but promptly bit her lower lip to keep from screaming out loud so the guards hopefully would not hear her and come running. Tears came from her eyes and ran down her cheeks, though there were only a few before Neyla hissed into her ear,

"There is more than one kind of prison." Faye shoved her cane into Neyla's stomach and spun, pushing her over the edge of the ruins and into the river below. Just before the traitor went over the edge, Faye could have sworn that she smirked. She held her left forearm with her right hand where it felt like she had been scalded. She breathed tensely as all sound was rejected from her ears except for her own breathing and the trickling of rain. Suddenly, thunder boomed and lightning lit up the area around her. Rain dispensed from the sky as realization hit Faye like a brick wall. She slowly took her hand off her torn sleeve as her heart thumped faster. One thought kept racing through her mind like a broken record: "Please be wrong." Faye closed her eyes as she lifted her hand. She opened an eye then both as they grew wide. Her blood ran cold and her heart skipped a beat. On her shoulder was an icon of a world globe in the clutches of a bird's talons; it was the symbol of the Klaww Gang.

"No…" she muttered as another tear came down. "No. It…It's not true…" She nearly sank to her knees, but a voice caught her attention,

"It came from over here, Ned!" Faye gasped as she turned behind her. The guards were coming. She held onto her cane and mentally yelled at herself to run. Her legs would not move no matter how much she tried.

_'Move! Darn it, move! You can't be caught!'_

_"They're coming!"_ Yami shouted. Lightning cracked in the air, jolting Faye's commands to her legs as she sped off for the vine in front of her. She jumped and spun onto it, fear motivating her every action. She slid across to a treetop where another spice plant rested. Faye was about to take off down another vine when she remembered her mission. She swiped it and stuffed it in her pack as she jumped off the side of the tree and clung on as she did before. She started to scale down just as another voice called,

"There's nobody here! Are you sure you're not being paranoid, Jim?"

"No, I swear I heard something like Pete when he eats really hot salsa!" said the first guard. Faye did not tilt her head to see who it was. She just kept climbing down, panting with fear and letting tears fall down her cheeks the entire way. When she finally got near the bottom, she fell to the slippery ground and sobbed. Faye was muddy and soggy as she lay there, but she did not care. All she wanted to do was just curl up into a little ball and cry.

And maybe disappear from the Cooper Gang's radar...for good. 

_'Why did this have to happen to me? Why did I have to get sucked into this stupid game? Why couldn't I have just stayed in bed? I want to wake up! I want Neyla **dead**!_' Faye silently cried, letting soft whimpers escape her lips once in a while.

_"Faye... Please don't cry. I've seen too many tears shed already. ...You're going to make **me** cry..._" Yami said softly.

"You can't cry. You're a ghost," Faye sniffed, "...S-sly and the others won't want me around anymore..." Faye managed between sobs.

_"Have fai__th-"_

"Faith? What does that have to do with anything?" Faye said angrily, pounding the ground with her left fist. Mud flew up on her arms and into her face. Loud snorting came from behind her; a rhino guard had heard her. Faye got to her feet and started sprinting towards the rendezvous point near the elephant driven satellite array as anger and sadness encircled her mind along with one question:

Would Sly believe she wasn't a member of the Klaww Gang?

* * *

SQ: Well, that does it. I figured you readers had been waiting long enough so I just uploaded it. It was supposed to be longer without the huge cliff hanger. -.-; Please be patient! My computer is in storage and I can only write the story at a cousin's house. No floppy at all. Why did I have to move now?!

Faye: I can give you a hint, but I think you already know the answer.

SQ: Yeah, yeah... (Mutters under breath)

Faye: She'll try to work on the next chapter. Till next time.


	15. Makings of a Master Thief

And welcome back reviewers to Sly as a Cooper! 100 reviews already? Thank you! This has been one of my goals ever since I put up my first fanfiction. I had seen others with 100-plus reviews and hoped that I could be as successful as that one day, like in five years or something. My hopes weren't that high cause I didn't except much. A 'sucked in' fanfiction? How many times has _that_ been done? In short: to death. This was supposed to be an Inuyasha/Sly Cooper crossover that went no where. I had lost the notes before I uploaded the first chapter, so I turned it into a 'sucked in' fanfic. I never thought anyone would like it. The first chapter had been rushed, no one knew Faye well (neither did I at the time. :P), dialogue had been skipped, and as mentioned before the idea had been done to death. I barely expected one review. Now look.

Faye: I can't believe it.

SQ: Believe it! Welcome to the chapter with the longest simile (figure of speech) used thus far! …Heh. Things start messing up in this chapter. I won't say what, though. And anything said by Yami will _always_ be in quotations. Faye's thoughts won't. It either will be or will _not_ be in quotations. Just something I wanted cleared up. Oh, yeah… Ahem. Last time, Neyla had burned the symbol of the Klaww Gang onto Faye's forearm, forcing her to be a prisoner of her own words. She managed to get away from a couple of guards and major trouble, but now she must complete her current mission and meet up with Sly. Will he believe her words, or will the Cooper Gang believe their eyes?

Disclaimer: Back you lawyers, back! I do not own Sly Cooper or any copyrights to the game, comics, or characters or anything affiliated with it. Now shoo!

Claimer: I do, however, own Faye Tym Destine, Yami Faye, Trinity, Faye's parents, Tyrano Rexus, Natasha Venery, Natasha's stepfather, and any songs or poems in this fanfiction. I also own the idea for the false reality and the Dimension Disrupter.

_Note: The Natural History Museum was in Cairo. Oops._

_Chapter 15: Makings of a Master Thief  
_

Sly was already at the rendezvous near the elephant driven satellite array. He had the spice plants that were the most difficult to get and was waiting for Faye. He brought out his binocucom and Bentley's face appeared in the right screen.

"Where's Faye? She should've been done by now," he said with concern behind his voice.

"I don't know," Bentley replied, bothered by the fact that Faye was late. "…You don't think she was captured, do you?" Panic was etched in his nasally voice.

"Of course not. Faye's a natural born thief. She's too good to be caught," Sly said coolly. "She probably got sidetracked and had to take a detour. She'll be here sooner or later." Bentley sighed,

"'Natural born thief'? You _do_ realize that it was her first time at that Natural History Museum in Cairo?" Murray nearly choked on several peanuts from a bag back at the safe house, though Sly could not hear it. Nor could he hear the pink hippo cough out,

"It was?!" Sly replied to Bentley as he zoomed in on the satellite array,

"Yeah, I know, but she's got potential. All she needs is a little training and she can-"

"Become a master thief?" Bentley finished slyly, smirking a bit and raising an eyebrow.

"Anything's possible," Sly said with his usual charm. "Oh wait! I think I see her." Sure enough, down in the ruins, sprinting with all her might towards the rendezvous was Faye. Sly zoomed in and noticed that her shirt was torn at her left shoulder and around the bottom. The strip of cloth from her shirt was wrapped around her forearm and her mask was off, revealing her rose-colored cheeks.

"Something's wrong with Faye. I'm going to go check it out," Sly put up his binocucom as several guards came around the corner Faye had just ran from, pursuing the noise of her footsteps. Sly hurriedly dashed to a nearby low-hanging vine overhead where Faye was heading. He put his cane in his mouth and leaped as far as he could on it before clinging to it. Faye was nearing and she was holding her cane, hook side upwards, in her right fist. Entangling his feet in the foliage above the vine, Sly let go of the vine and held onto his cane, just hanging there from the thick plants and roots. He could hear her softly sobbing just before she ran under him, her head facing the ground. Sly reached his cane down and it snagged onto Faye's. He immediately pulled her up as she gasped. She held onto her staff for dear life and looked up at her savior, breathing heavily. Tears were streaming from her eyes full of fright and she was panting frailly. Her arms and legs were scratched up, probably from the underbrush. Sly was slightly taken aback by this and he widened his eyes a little bit. The guards below had stopped and were searching the area, snorting as they were looking for the intruder. There were two rhinos and two goats; all four ready to take care of any unwanted guests. Sly hoisted his cane and Faye upwards until she was near the vine just below him. Faye clung like a cat onto the vine with her cane still in her hand. She scrambled across the vine back to solid ground. Her legs gave out beneath her just as she jumped from the foliage to the dirt and she landed on her palms. Faye was shaking and she seemed to be scared of something. Sly was soon beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked, mixing his usual charisma with concern. He tilted his head to try and look at her face, but she refused to make eye contact. Faye tried getting her mind together to come up with something, though it kept breaking here and there like a sand castle being washed away by the waves of the ocean while a little kid tried to rebuild it.

"S-S-S-S-Sly?" she stuttered from dismay and the chill of the wind and the rain, "Would you…still be my friend…even if…" She paused. "Even if…" Faye burst into tears again and silently wept, sniffling every now and then as she grit her teeth in frustration. Yami's voice reverberated in the back of her mind,

_"__Faye, I'm sure Sly will understand if you just tell him what's wrong."_

_"__And tell him what?" _Faye mentally yelled. _"That Neyla burned the mark of the Klaww gang into my arm and that I'm from another world where he's just a video game character? I can't do it! He'll think I'm crazy and Neyla will kill me then him then, then…"_ Faye could not think straight anymore. _"I just want to go home!"_ Sly's voice brought her back,

"Bentley, I'm bringing Faye back to the safe house. She's been through a lot and she's shaken up. She can sit out the rest of the jobs." Faye turned around to see Sly pressing a button on his earcom. He was not wearing his usual grin, but instead a serious, if not worried, expression. He let go of the button, took his hand off her shoulder, and extended his hand for her to grab. "Come on. Let's go."

"I…I'm sorry, Sly," Faye said as her voice cracked and another tear slid down her cheek, blending with the rain. She grasped Sly's gloved hand and found that it was soft despite the rainfall.

"It's not your fault," he said as he helped her to her feet. Faye was unsure of everything at the moment. Should she run, or should she stay? Should she reveal where she was from, or wait until another time?

"Have you collected any spice plants?" Sly asked benevolently. To Faye, it was strange how he was acting. Usually, he would try to make light of the situation and crack a joke, but he appeared to have a serious side too. Faye nodded quickly and, letting go of Sly's hand, brought out the four spice plants that she had gathered from her pack.

"Alright, now place the spice plants into the elephant's feedbag," Bentley radioed to Sly before switching to Faye's earcom frequency, "Faye, you might want to stay back." Faye gripped her hands together as Sly said,

"Wait here." She nodded as he ran, leaped up into the air, and landed on the ground without a sound. There were no guards around at the moment and the elephant had just passed him. Faye stood there uncertain of what was going to happen. She would have to explain what had transpired at some time and then she would just have to trust that the others would believe her. Sly set the spice plants in the feeding trough and tiptoed away.

"Sayonara satellite array," he said craftily as the elephant halted in its tracks and began chowing down on its contaminated food. It stopped eating for a moment and its eyes changed to an eerie crimson then back to a bluish hue. It started eating again, though it paused once more as its eyes went back to crimson and it trumpeted fiercely. The elephant jerked back and forth and side to side on its harness and broke free in seconds. It stomped off, charging through the satellite array and knocking out several guards as it trumpeted wildly and ran off into the jungle. Sly had watched the entire thing beside Faye. She suddenly remembered what would happen to Murray at the Contessa's prison and she knew that she would have to warn the Cooper Gang before Operation: Wet Tiger.

"Come on. Let's get you back to the safe house," Sly said as he put a hand on her shoulder and motioned his head towards the skull that was their hideout. Faye had stopped sobbing and she just seemed to be a little nervous. He took his hand off her shoulder, turned around, and was about to walk back with Faye when she spoke up,

"Sly," he turned his head back and looked at her. Faye slightly gulped, "It's alright. I can help with the rest of the jobs."

"Are you sure? 'Cause you seemed shaken up a bit back there," he said, making sure she was ready for another job. Faye nodded with a somewhat cracked voice,

"I just needed…to be by a friend." Faye slowly broke a smile as another tear ran down her cheek.

_"__Maybe…" _Faye thought,_ "I can still be their friends… I just have to keep steady…"_

_"__And find the courage to beat Neyla at her own game,"_ Yami's voice resonated in Faye's mind, _"You can do it. Just believe in yourself and the Cooper Gang's friendship."_

Sly pointed at her forearm with a strip of material from her shirt wrapped around it,

"What about your arm?"

"It'll be alright. I can just confiscate a first-aid kit from one of the guards." Faye seemed to be a bit happier as she tried to lighten the mood; basically doing Sly's job at the moment. Sly smiled back at Faye and took out his binocucom,

"It looks likes Faye's going to be helping with bugging Rajan's office."

"Are you sure about that? The way you talked back there made it sound like Faye was in trouble…" Bentley said, concerned about what was happening outside.

"You can't become a master thief without taking a few falls, Bentley," Sly said with that Cooper charm.

"Isn't that the truth…" Bentley said, as if reminiscing something from years ago. Faye looked up at Sly, shock reflecting upon her face as her eyes widened. She spoke softly, trying to grasp what Sly had said,

"Do…you really think…that I could be…a master thief…?" Yami was silent, listening in suspense. She dared not speak, catching her voice and opening her ears. Sly brought down his binocucom and stared Faye in the eye,

"Of course. Faye, you've got the potential to be a great thief. I don't know how you got to that Museum in Cairo, but I really think you've got what it takes to become a master thief." Faye felt tears welling up in her eyes again and, for once in a long time, she felt great joy rise in her heart. She could not help but smile as a tear came down her cheek.

"…Thank you Sly…" she said, barely above a whisper though still audible. Sly took another look through his binocucom before turning back to Faye,

"Let's see what Bentley's got planned for our next job." Faye nodded and followed Sly, repeating what he did subconsciously as she thought to herself and Yami,

_"How am I going to tell him about his world and ours?"_

_"__Technically, you're speaking about yourself all together," _Yami said, pointing out Faye's mistake in grammar. _"But nevertheless, you will have to tell Sly, Murray, and Bentley-"_

_"__What about Carmelita? I'll have to tell her too…"_ Faye added to her worries as she started climbing a vine to an upper part of the temple.

_"__Maybe. It all depends on what happens. For now, just worry about Neyla. There's no doubt that she will try to turn Sly against you."_ A flash of Neyla being thrown into piranha-infested waters went through Faye's mind.

_"__I just wish I could actually do that…"_ A sudden thought occurred to Faye, _"Hold on. If you are me, then how come your grammar sounds dignified? I never talk like that."_

_"__Like what?"_ Yami asked, as if she had no idea what Faye was talking about, and she did not. Faye mentally sighed, focusing on where Sly and her were going. It seemed as if they were almost to the pool shrouded in mist up ahead.

_"'__Maybe that's how the Dimension Disrupter works, by obscuring key components in someone's mind.'"_ Faye recited mentally,_ "I never say 'components' in a sentence unless I'm reading it from a manual."_

_"__Oh. That."_ Yami now sounded somewhat sorrowful._ "It must've happened when my memories were erased the second time. Neyla and Arpeggio created the machine, after all. And they taught me how to be 'proper.'"_

"Faye? Are you okay?" Sly was waving his hand in front of Faye's face. "You zoned out there. Are you sure you're up to this?" Faye smiled, not realizing that she had stopped in her tracks on the teetering ruin which the next mission icon was located at. She nodded,

"Yes. I can't be a decent thief without contributing to the team, can I?" Faye put her hands on her hips as Sly grinned and climbed up a vine behind him. Faye followed after and immediately spotted the water bug. She and Sly brought out their binocucoms as Bentley's voice came from their earcoms,

"Sly, Faye, the insect in that pool is a rare Indian water bug. If you can carry it into Rajan's office its wings will transmit local soundwaves at a frequency I can monitor." 

_'Oh yeah! I remember that shortcut I took on this mission! A little difficult, but worth it to get to Rajan's office faster.'_

"Let me get this straight," Sly said, raising an eyebrow; unsure of Bentley's logic this time around, "We're going to bug Rajan's office…with a bug?"

"It is an elegant plan, I agree," Bentley said with confidence, ignoring the uncertainty in Sly's voice. Faye fought to stifle a laugh. "Now pay attention." She stopped from laughing out loud. "That water bug can only survive in stagnant pools… If kept out of water too long it'll become unhappy and likely draw the attention of local guards." Yami spoke up,

_"__And **that's** why I hate that bug. It kept me up every single night when the guards were bored with nothing to do." _Sly directed his binocucom over the water bug and looked at another pool not too far off with the same mist emanating from it as the one near him and Faye now.

"Hmm…looks like there's a few pools along the way to Rajan's office," Sly said, getting a plan together, "A short swim every now and then should keep our little friend quiet." Faye ran the job through her mind, remembering what she had done when she had performed the challenge herself.

"I can go on ahead and take care of any guards that we may come across," she said. Faye and Sly put up their binocucoms.

"I'll stay here," Sly said, "You go on and check if the coast is clear." Faye nodded,

"I'll contact you when the route is safe." With that, Faye climbed back down and peered over the edge of the temple ruin.

"Uh oh…" she muttered, so no one but Yami could hear her. 

_"It was easy because I played as Sly. He could jump from this height and not get hurt. For goodness sakes, that's how I got around with everybody!"_ Finally realizing just how different things would be getting around, Faye looked around for something to get her off the wobbling ruin and down to the pool below. She looked near her feet and saw a vine leading off the edge. She ambled over to it and looked down off the side. The vine stopped just above a tree, though something was peculiar about it. After a few moments of staring and getting wet from the rain, lightning flashed and the light reflected from the tree. Faye smiled knowing that it was a clue bottle. She hurriedly clutched the vine and slid down, not even having to let go as she landed on the treetop. Faye grabbed the green bottle and frowned; the piece of paper was missing. She then recalled what Bentley had said,

**"**_**I've already sent out Natasha to collect what she can."**_

Faye set the bottle upside down on a branch of the tree, not wanting to step or trip over it later. Two feet below and a foot across from the treetop was the top of a long ruin. A vine from the other side of it led to a circular form of temple ruins that resembled a landmark Faye knew was in Scotland. She walked across the vine and waited until a goat guard passed under her before jumping down behind him and sneaking to a bouncing mushroom. She moved eight feet before comprehending what she was doing; she was moving like Sly did in the game, putting one foot up in front of her and bringing herself over to it. She did not know whether to laugh that she was imitating the game so much or try stopping herself, though she knew it was the best way to get around. At least till she tried learning Feral Pounce anyway. Faye proceeded to creep like a Cooper until she arrived at the toadstool. She then jumped onto it and the fungus propelled her upwards to the building's roof. She landed without a sound, courtesy of the ability of her costume, and watched as a monkey guard four feet away patrolled the area. Faye crept up behind him and hooked her cane through his belt. She turned around and hauled him over her shoulder, slamming the guard into the ground and knocking him out. Faye unhooked her cane and reached for a button on her earcom. She turned it to the second frequency, the first being Bentley at the safe house, and pushed the dial in.

"Coast is clear Sly. Come on down," she said, looking upwards at the careening temple ruins. She watched as Sly put the water bug on his back and leaped off the structure straight to the ground. Faye looked away and winced, waiting for the sound of bones breaking. She waited a little longer and when she opened her eyes, Sly was landing in front of her. He set the bug in the pool as she asked quietly in awe,

"How did you do that?" Sly turned to her and whispered back,

"I don't think I can explain that. Bentley might be able to." Faye shook her head, making sure to keep her voice low as another monkey guard was just below them,

"No thanks. Some of the things Bentley says hurts my head." Faye rubbed her frontal lobe, reliving the complicated words the brainy turtle always said. "What in the world does '_toujours_' mean?"

"It's French for 'always,'" Sly answered casually. Faye stared at the ground and sighed, still massaging her temples. "You weren't in France very long, were you?" She shook her head,

"You have _no_ idea…" Faye's eyes widened and she mentally slapped herself; she had leaked out information.

"So how long have you lived in Paris?" Sly asked. Faye looked up and said indifferently,

"I arrived not too long before I met you," Faye answered, trying to cover up any suspicions. She had to reframe from lying so that when the truth got out, she would be more believable.

"But I thought you said that you had been in that museum more times than the nightwatch?" Faye cringed.

_"__Busted! Stupid, stupid, stupid…"_ Faye mentally cursed herself for being so forgetful of her first meeting with Sly. She put a hand on the back of her neck and stared at the ground, knowing she had to tell the truth,

"Yeeaahh... I…kinda…wanted to impress you and Bentley. I didn't want to seem like a newbie at thieving." Faye looked back up at Sly's face and slightly squinted her left eye as she gave an apologetic look.

"So…how long _have_ you been thieving?" Sly asked, now starting to question Faye's background. Faye grit her teeth together and looked at the ground again.

"Um… Can I tell you later? I have to add the time up," Faye said sheepishly, looking at Sly through her damp bangs hanging outside of her costume.

"Alright then. Just don't get specific down to the seconds," Sly said, as he took out his binocucom again. Faye hopped down to the raised portion of land below and once again knocked out a monkey guard out with the finishing slam move. She waved at Sly, who had put up his binocucom, to follow her and jumped down to the ground, heading for a wooden log bridge that led across the river. She looked back once to see Sly with the water bug on his back just about ten feet behind her. She crossed the bridge and turned left towards another pool and waited for Sly. But when she turned back around, she saw a rhino guard turning to cross the bridge she had just tiptoed over. Amazingly, he did not seem to notice her, but Sly was approaching the bridge. Faye covered her mouth as the flashlight drew closer to Sly's feet and if he did not hurry, the bug would start alerting the guards of their whereabouts. Faye wanted to close her eyes tight and wait, but like a train wreck, she just could not look away. At the very edge of the light, Sly jumped out to his left and landed on a wooden stake coming out of the water, avoiding a very hairy confrontation. He ninja spire jumped to another stake before leaping onto solid land again. Faye breathed a silent sigh of relief as she and Sly ran to the pond since there were no guards to hear them.

Without warning, a cobra came out in front of them, hissing and glaring with its crimson eyes. Faye gasped and stepped back, frozen in its stare as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Sly, still running, **thwacked** it with his cane and placed the bug in the pond just near a dangling vine coming from the ledge above. Faye's heart started to slow down and she let herself breathe normally. Her cane was shaking in her hand as her mind stopped rushing with thoughts of what to do against a snake in the middle of nearly nowhere and not getting bitten. A small voice abruptly came through on Faye's earcom,

"H-hello?" Faye recognized it immediately. She turned the dial in her earcom to the fifth frequency, being that Bentley's earcom aside from the safe house was third and Murray's was fourth and the voice had to be fifth. Faye pressed the dial in,

"Natasha?" She let go, listening for a response.

"Faye?" Natasha whispered back, fright hanging on her words, "I, I need help…"

"Tell me where you are. I'll be there," Faye said with confidence.

"What's going on?" Sly asked, overhearing part of the conversation. Faye looked up at Sly for a moment,

"Natasha's in trouble." Natasha's voice came immediately afterward,

"I-I'm stuck. There's a bunch of guards and I can't get out."

"Where are you?" Faye asked, wanting to get to Natasha as soon as possible. There was silence for a while before the little panther quietly answered,

"I…I'm not sure. A see a lot of lights and crates…and guards…and I'm on the ground somewhere."

"Calm down and stay quiet. I'll be there as fast as possible," Faye said before turning back to the first frequency. "Bentley, Natasha's trapped near a lot of lights, crates, and guards. Can you get a marker on her?" There was a small pause,

"…Got it. Use your binocucom to find her. She's on the other side of the temple. You'll have to go up higher to find her." Faye brought out her binocucom and saw an orange beam rising into the sky. She lowered her gadget and turned to Sly,

"Can you take care of the rest of the job without me?" Her voice was somewhat frantic as hope and fear reflected in her bright orbs.

"Sure," he answered. "You go get Natasha. I'll bug Rajan's office." Faye brought out her binocucom and looked up near Rajan's office. She spoke quickly,

"Sly, up there is a tree next to the entrance to Rajan's office." Sly brought out his binocucom and gazed at what she was referring to. "Use the root from it on the part of the temple where two rhino guards are and double jump up to the ledge. You'll get to Rajan's office faster that way." Faye kept her binocucom out as she started running back towards the bridge. She started creeping again once a guard came into view, resisting the urge to sprint.

"_What do you think happened to Natasha?"_ Yami asked.

"_I don't know. I don't remember any crates in this level or why guards would be sitting around in one place,"_ Faye thought, trying to hurry but not attracting any unwanted attention. The holographic marker led Faye to an area she was familiar with; she had to guide Sly through the area with the Cherry Bomb 500, going through the shadowed area behind the small arcs from the ceiling leading from one dwarfed pillar to another. It was also where one of the clue bottles was located. Now, there were a bunch of wooden crates, three rhino guards, three goat guards, and four monkey guards in the area. Faye made her way above the guards and listened in on their conversation.

"Rajan's too paranoid," said a monkey leaning on a crate, "He keeps pacing around the temple like somebody's gonna jump him."

"I don't know Jim," said a rhino on Faye's far right. "Rajan might be onto something."

"Shut up, Frankford!" yelled a goat, waving around his bugle. "You're not the one lying out cold on the stupid ground!" He either had anger management problems or was under the influence of spice. Frankford glared at the goat and slammed his fist into the goat's face, knocking him back into a crate and breaking it.

"_Natasha's in there,"_ Faye thought to herself, _"There's got to be a way to distract those guards. Maybe…"_ Faye backed away from the ledge a bit and ducked so the watchmen could not see her and she could not see them. She concentrated on her voicebox before bellowing in a strong voice,

"Men! There are trespassers near the northern waterfall. Take care of them at once!" Faye waited for a response.

"Sir? You sound different-" started Jim.

"If I have to tell you again I'll have your heads! **Now get moving!**" Faye thundered, imitating Rajan's voice as best she could. The guards scrambled, climbing over one another as they moved down the path away from Faye. She rubbed her sore throat and crept towards the ledge again. She turned the dial on her earcom and pressed it, whispering,

"Natasha, get out of there. Those guards won't be gone for long. And don't worry, that wasn't really Rajan." After a moment, Natasha came crawling from the remains of the broken crate with Josie under her left arm. A few scraps of paper were sticking out of her sweatshirt as she got up.

"Up here," Faye softly spoke, bending down on one knee and looking over towards Natasha. The little panther looked up and saw Faye. She smiled but Faye frowned; a rhino guard was heading back. Faye pointed behind Natasha and she looked. She gasped and started running down the road straight ahead of her, which was on Faye's left. Faye jumped down and caught up to Natasha.

"Slow down," she said airily. Fear was in the panther's eyes as she held Josie tight in her arms. Faye grabbed Natasha's left arm and pulled her in another direction. She knew where they were and she started to slow down. They were near the area with the truck containing the helicopter Bentley would use later and the patrol route of one of the elephants. Footsteps were still behind them as they came to the edge of the river and part of a temple with a vine hanging down. Josie jumped out of Natasha's arms and starting racing towards the ruin. Faye and Natasha chased after her, not saying a word. Josie walked along a narrow strip of land, though when Faye looked down, she saw dark blue sparkles going forward in a line. Faye thought to herself,

_"Isn't this…where the Spice Grinder is at?"_

_"…__Yes, it is," _Yami commented, seeing what Faye did through her eyes. Faye neared the sparkles and started sidling across, thankful that the cat costume gave her more balance. Natasha seemed afraid and stayed behind. Faye took notice and extended her hand, thinking,

_"__Déjà vu…again. Is she an alternate version of myself or what?" _Natasha took Faye's hand with her left and took baby steps getting across as a light searched where they just were.

"It's okay, Natasha," Faye said warmly. "We can make it." 

_'And get a mission done while we're at it.'_

It seemed to be forever, but they finally made it to a small nook in the cliff near a door where only two torches lit the area. Natasha picked up Josie and stroked her fur. Bentley came over Faye's earcom,

"Faye!" he freaked. "Where are you? Where's Natasha? Are you alright? Speak to me!" Faye pushed in the dial after setting it and answered,

"It's alright Bentley. Natasha and I just had to outrun a few guards. We'll back be in a while after clearing something up. We'll contact you when we're done."

"No, you better come back to the safe house-"

"Bentley…" Faye said firmly, "Please. Just trust me. I know what I'm doing." Natasha voice also came over, being on the same frequency,

"Bentley? I want to help Faye," Faye looked at Natasha as she held Josie close to her in one hand. "I trust her." There was an awkward silence before Bentley's voice came over again,

"Well… Alright. But contact me as soon as you're done and be sure to hurry. We still need to get the blueprints from Rajan." Faye smiled and said,

"Don't worry. We'll be quick about it." Faye approached the button on a stand right of the door and pressed it. The door opened and Faye walked in with Natasha holding Josie behind her, knowing that she was finally taking on a mission that, even though it had not been assigned, she had chosen to do.

* * *

SQ: I really hope this accommodates for my delays even if the action slowed down a bit. I don't mean to keep you all waiting, but schoolwork and writer's block keep me busy. When I recorded this episode to get the dialogue, the rhino guard really did almost catch me with the insect going across the bridge. I enjoy writing this story almost as much as my personal story I created, even if getting all of the dialogue can be a pain sometimes. (Looks back at chapter) Oy… (hits head against wall) I'm so, _so_ sorry. It's too easy to create a Faye/Sly moment even when I don't mean it. I mean, Murray's always eating and Bentley's on his computer. Who else is she supposed to talk to during missions? Sly's the only one she's connecting with right now and Natasha's too young to have an intense conversation with.

Faye: Some people like it.

SQ: Do you?

Faye: That falls under the category of my-business-and-no-one-is-to-find-out-so-they-can-go-nuts-and-keep-wondering-till-later-on.

SQ: Uh huh… I'll put that under 'undecided.'

Faye: Whatever keeps that insane mind of yours working.

SQ: Caffeine. Lots and lots of it. And reviews don't hurt either. The longer the better. Even if it's just a bunch of ramblings.

Faye: Does _anything_ bother you?

SQ: ……Bugs. And unfortunately I've been camping during summer vacation. I hate these things! (sighs) Oh well. And just to say, I think I made someone cry during this chapter. I'm not sure if it was Natasha or what, but there are a dozen or so used tissues at Outcast in the living room. …Okay so it's not Outcast. …Just think of the Kame House from DBZ. (Starts painting over the word 'Kame') Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I almost had the chapter with Operation: Wet Tiger all set till I remember everything was flooded. :( Now I have to think a little more before it's ready. Thank goodness for the school I'm in, otherwise I wouldn't have updated this early. (sweat drop) Until next time. May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief. (I do not own Zelda where this is derived and changed from.)


	16. Dangers Get Real

SQ: (Skids out on a large stage with Faye) _So_, so sorry. I had a small case of writer's block, I was swamped with homework, I was trying to get an early lead on several chapters, including my personal favorite part near the end, and there were a whole lot of other complications. And for those who keep asking, _no_ I cannot update faster. I am human and I can_not_ spit out a chapter a day. Wish I could, then we would be done by now, however, I try to do Sly as a Cooper whenever there's time. Over a hundred reviews… No one has any idea how happy I am about that. :D …That doesn't even come close.

Faye: -.- We're going to be at the four-year anniversary of this thing before we get to Jean Bison…

Trinity: (Walks out on stage nonchalantly) Well, that's a possibility.

(Audience applauds loudly)

SQ: (Goes wide-eyed) Whoa! It's Trinity!

Faye: I thought-

SQ: Hold that thought until after the chapter. As a small note, some of the dialogue, like Rajan's first intercom announcement, have been slightly modified.

**Disclaimer:** …Do I _really _have to say it? (Speaks into megaphone) **_I do not own Sly Cooper or any related copyrights._** (Turns off megaphone) Thank you.

_Chapter 16: Dangers Get Real  
_

Faye and Natasha with Josie in her arms dropped down into the entrance of the catacombs leading to Rajan's Spice Grinder, landing on a bouncy mushroom and springing onto the ground safely. Stone walls surrounded them with torches adorning the rocky surface. Ahead were two routes filled with moving and non-moving lasers that blocked their path on either side and a hatch in the wall was in between the halls with a torch on both sides. Directly below the shoot was a TNT barrel on the ground. Natasha held Josie protectively and gazed at all the lasers.

"Where are we?" she asked quietly. As if on cue, Rajan's voice came over the intercom,

"Attention guards, make sure all laser fences are operational to protect the spice grinder. The security boxes have been acting faulty as of late and they need to be in _top condition_!"

"My guess," Faye said, "Rajan's Spice Grinding Facility." Feeling it was safe to let the others know, she dialed Bentley at the safe house, "Bentley, we just found Rajan's Spice Grinding Facility. Natasha and I are going in to destroy it." Bentley replied,

"Are you sure that's where you are?"

"Positive," Faye said coolly. "Rajan just came over the intercom telling his guards to make sure the lasers were operational. Natasha and I will take it out and come back to the safe house."

"Hmm…" Bentley paused in thought before continuing, "Rajan won't come out of hiding while Spice is still being manufactured… If we destroy the grinder he'll be out of business and have no reason to stick around the temple!" Faye smiled,

"Which means we'll be able to get out of here faster and leave Inspector Fox to wrap things up when she eventually arrives like Clockwork."

_'At least we would if Neyla wasn't going to interfere and Rajan comes out without Bentley having to destroy the dam._' Natasha giggled,

"He he. She always ends up coming to the scene of the crime after you guys leave. It said so in my step-dad's police reports," she stopped laughed and asked Bentley earnestly, "So can we do it?"

"Well…" there was a painfully long silence that seemed to be longer than it actually was before he spoke again, "…Okay then. Just don't get too audacious. You have no idea what might be down there. I expect to see you three back here. And be careful," Bentley stressed his last words to get his seriousness across. Faye smiled slightly as she responded,

"We'll try."

"Don't just try. Remember the nearest hospital is-" Faye recited with him,

"A hundred and six miles away." He stopped talking as Faye spoke, "I know. We'll do our best not to get hurt."

"Okay then. And if you find anything that seems useful, bring it back."

"Got it Turtle-nator," Faye joked as she ended the conversation, slightly chuckling to herself.

"How are we going to get through here, Faye?" Natasha asked quietly, standing in the middle of the hall.

"Take a look. Can you see it?" Faye said, wanting Natasha to figure it out for herself. Natasha looked at the security box, static across the screen. She walked over to the other set of lasers and again saw no way to get through. She turned to the TNT barrel then peered up at the security box. She faced Faye,

"How do I use this?"

"It's kinda – aw, heck – it's totally dangerous," Faye said as Natasha looked at the barrel again.

"Can you show me?" the panther asked. Faye's stomach lurched; one false move and either one of them would be dead. She wanted to retch, but managed to keep it down.

_"__What am I going to do, Yami?"_ Faye mentally freaked. _"This isn't a game. I could get through this part without a scratch in the game, but now…"_

_"__Relax. I'll help you. First, approach the barrel,"_ Yami told her. Faye moved her stiffened legs towards the explosive barrel. Natasha took notice of Faye's somewhat inflexible limbs as she nervously looked inside the keg.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. Faye looked at Natasha and smiled tensely,

"O-of course. It's the only way we can get through." Yami echoed,

_"__Okay. Now step inside. It will not start the countdown to explode until your body heat leaves the container." _Faye gulped and did as Yami instructed, praying that the explosives would not go off. She took a moment and looked at Natasha,

"Go stand over by the mushroom. You don't want to be caught in the explosion." Natasha nodded and did as she was told and sauntered over to the toadstool. "And hold Josie tight; don't let her get away." The little panther held Josie close herself as Faye shut her eyes tight and sank into the barrel.

_"__You're doing great,"_ Yami reverberated in Faye's mind. _"Now, slip your hands under the barrel or find the handles and lift. Then move to where you want it to explode and let go of the handles."_ Faye found two handles near the bottom and gripped them, anxiety still coursing through her. She hoisted the barrel up and tiptoed to the security box, fearful of the TNT going off at any second. She sat the barrel near the security device, but did not let go of the handles. Yami spoke again,

_"__Now pay attention: it's very important you get this last step right. Without stopping, stand up and jump out of the barrel. Then keep running away from the red light around the barrel."_ But Faye was frozen. She was not sure whether or not to let go of the handles. Explosives surrounded her and she was slightly shaking at the thought that they might go off.

_"__Let go of the handles. I promise, all you have to do is stand, jump out, and get away from the red light. That's it,"_ Yami said, trying to encourage Faye.

"Faye?" Natasha inquired with wonder. She peeked around the corner just before Faye said,

"Stay there, Natasha. Don't come any closer." Natasha backed away and crouched in a corner with Josie in her lap. Faye took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay." Faye leaped straight up and hit her head on the cavern ceiling.

"Ahh!" she yelped in pain as she fell down to the ground, back first. She groaned in pain when a red light flashed in her face and beeping reached her ears. Within the split second those two reached her senses, she knew that she was near the TNT barrel, especially when another half second later Natasha cried out,

"Faye!" Faye rolled out of the way as the beeping grew faster. The barrel exploded, scattering metal and rocks as smoke rose upwards and out the entrance Natasha and Faye had come in. Josie got startled and struggled to break free of Natasha's grip. Natasha held her as tightly as possible without hurting the kitten, but Josie sprung from her hold and ran through the clearing smoke. Faye groaned as she got to her feet, having only just made it out of the blast radius. Natasha ran over to her as Faye held her head.

"Faye, are you okay?" she asked. Faye coughed from the smoke as it fully cleared up and a visible path led to the second security box. Natasha gasped as she saw Josie's tail disappear just past the lasers. Faye shakily got to her feet and took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. Faye said in a somewhat shaky tone,

"I…I think-" Bentley's frantic, worried voice suddenly came over her earcom,

"Faye! Are you okay? There was an explosion from your end! What happened?" Faye pressed in her earcom's dial,

"Y-yeah. I had to use a TNT barrel…to get in farther. Uhh…" she held her head with her right hand, "I just hit my head on the ceiling. I'll be okay after everything stops moving."

"Maybe you should come back to the safe house, Faye," Bentley said, "I'll send Sly-"

"Please, no!" Faye blurted out, "I really want to do this." A sudden thought like a jolt hit her: she had not even stopped to think about Natasha's feelings or well being in the job. It had just been an outline clouded by the desires to stop the Klaww Gang and get a mission done early along with mixed feelings about stamping out Neyla and getting back home. Natasha pushed in the dial on her own earcom,

"And I want to help her," Faye gazed at her in slight bewilderment, "Besides, Josie ran off and I have to find her." Bentley sighed from his side of the conversation,

"Don't be so gallant in trying to get to Rajan's Spice Grinder. It may be a huge part of Rajan's spice operation, but we don't need to lose the two of you to bring it down."

"We understand, Bentley," said Faye, "This isn't a game. If we die, we're maggot food."

"Yech!" Natasha sounded, sticking out her tongue in disgust as the image went through her mind. Bentley radioed the two of them,

"My thoughts exactly. Now go on and destroy that Spice Grinder. We'll be waiting here at the safe house for you to return…in one piece." With that, the turtle ended the conversation, leaving Faye and Natasha to their mission.

"Shall we?" Faye asked as she headed back to get another TNT barrel.

"Let's," Natasha replied with a devious smile as she retreated to the corner she hid in before.

_"__Are you sure you can-"_ Yami was interrupted by Faye's thoughts,

_"__Whether I'm sure or not, I have to do this. Natasha's life won't be taken for my stupidity. Besides, this had to be done sooner or later."_ By the time Faye was done conversing with Yami, she was standing in front of another explosive keg that had been deposited earlier. She took a deep breath, let it out and climbed inside the barrel, shutting her eyes tight in fear.

_"__If you make it through this,"_ said Yami, _"I will show you whatever you want from the false reality."_ Faye silently gulped as a question formed in her mind, though she would have to wait until later to ask. Later when the Cooper Gang would be incarcerated and taken to Contessa's prison. Faye tiptoed to the moving barrier of three horizontal, red laser beams blocking her way to the second security panel. She waited till two slid to the left and one to the right before moving through their pathway and setting the barrel down where she needed it. Controlling her jumping prowess this time, Faye leaped out of the barrel and rolled away from the blast radius, tucking in her arms and legs with her cane pressing against the front of her lower legs to keep them near.

_"__Why in the world does this feel like déjà vu?"_ Faye thought to herself, trying for a moment to figure out why the position seems so familiar. The explosives detonated and the security box was consumed in the blast. Small loose pebbles from the walls fell to the ground as Faye uncurled herself and Natasha walked up.

"How're we going to get through that?" she asked, pointing to two consecutive laser obstacles. The first was a set of three lasers; one swept across the floor while the other two stood idly. The second was another set of moving horizontal lasers, this time easier to pass. Faye waited for the floor laser to reach the farthest end on her left before jumping into the space that it would swept through again. Just as it was coming back, she leaped forward, much like a cat, through the wall of lasers and landed, tumbling once and stopping on all fours. Faye turned back and saw Natasha biting her lower lip as she stared at the lasers.

"You can do it," Faye whispered just loud enough for the panther to hear. Natasha looked back up in fear. "Just imagine how you would get through them. The lasers are in a repeating pattern so just pick a moment and go." Natasha nervously gazed at the security lasers, as if trying to figure out when to advance. After a while of watching, she shook her head,

"I can't make it. …I'll just wait here for you." Faye's eyes searched the ground before she looked back up at Natasha and said,

"Okay. But if you hear a guard coming, get through the lasers quickly. We'll think of an escape strategy afterwards."

"Uh-huh," Natasha nodded as Faye turned down a hallway of three spotlights. Yami echoed,

_"__There are guns hidden in the spotlights. If you're caught in them, you'll be shot."_ Faye shrugged,

_"__Doesn't faze me. I used to pretend things like this when I was little. I can get through this no problem."_ Faye moved to the right side of the corridor and ran forward when a spotlight swept away from her. She dodged one after another, sprinting the entire way and making it to the end without a hitch. Faye smirked to herself and peered at the six jars on the ground. She raised her cane above her head and was about to smash them open when she stopped and stooped down to peer inside a large one. Inside were a few coins, which Faye pocketed before carrying on. She sighed and shook her head at the two, farther-than-necessary-apart triple laser obstacles bobbing up and down in rhythm.

_"__How come the bad guys never do the criss-cross laser thing? Or even **invisible** lasers?"_ Yami answered,

_"__It's so their own guards can maneuver through it easier. I know: it's ridiculous." _Faye slapped her forehead and mentally sighed,

_"__I swear, **I** could make a better security system. And don't tell me monkeys made this thing."_

"_Actually, apes did."_ Faye rolled her eyes as she proceeded to the first 'barrier.'

_"__Figures."_ As soon as the lasers were above her head, Faye ducked and swiftly moved to the other side. _"I know it was easy in the game, so…maybe I should appreciate the easiness right now. Especially on Arpeggio's blimp when we have to get three charges."_ Faye shuddered as the image of the barrel used in the job exploded, shrouding whoever was near it in a fiery blaze. _"I really hope we don't blow it…"_ The next barricade was faster as Faye sprinted towards it, curling up into a ball at the last moment as the lasers rose and rolled under them. She stopped on all fours, got up, and brought out her binocucom. Bentley's image appeared on the left screen as Faye whispered,

"I'm in the Spice Grinder room," she zoomed in on the Grinder in the middle of the room, "I think I can blow it up, but I need a TNT barrel and the only ones are back at the entrance past some ground lasers."

"Hmm…" Bentley paused for a moment before speaking, "Start by getting a hold of that TNT down there." Faye peered her binocucom down below the Spice Grinder to where two rhino guards were patrolling near a TNT barrel. "There's probably a route from down there to your location without any floor lasers. And it's worth mentioning that guards _won't_ be able to detect you if you stay still while in the TNT barrel."

"Hides me _and_ it makes a good defense…as long as I'm not in it when it explodes."

"Right. Just place the explosive near the grinding wheel and it'll be blown to bits." Faye nodded before ending the conversation and placing her binocucom in her side pack. She crouched as she waited for the two rhino guards below, walking in opposite directions, to cross paths. As soon as they did, Faye jumped down without a sound and took long, careful steps towards the TNT barrel. As she did, she spotted a black ball of fur peak from behind it. Faye reached the keg and, upon discovery of Josie crouching beside it, smiled softly.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Natasha leaned against the wall where she had been left. She watched the lasers bob up and down and listened for footsteps to approach her from any direction. A resonating explosion caused her attention to be drawn past the laser obstacles. She gasped before noticing an orange figure beyond the smoke.

"Faye?" she whispered. Heavy footsteps advanced and Natasha backed up a few paces. A rhino guard was searching the area were a wall of security beams had been. After a few tense moments, he left, shaking his head and grunting to himself. Natasha gulped and peeked down the way, scarcely breathing. Moments passed when finally another set of footsteps came, though this time they were softer. From the bend in the cavern came a walking explosive with a familiar head on top.

"Faye!" she whispered. Faye smiled,

"Guess who?" Josie's head peeked out from the barrel and Natasha chuckled. "Get to the other corridor. I'm going to blow up the security box so you can get Josie." Natasha smiled and nodded, saying,

"Alright. Thanks, Faye." Faye picked the barrel up again and made her way down the passage with spotlights. She stopped and ducked into the barrel whenever a light was about to sweep over her and resumed sneaking when the light passed. She crept to the security box at the end of the hall and set the barrel near it. She let go of the inner handles, grabbed onto Josie, and leapt out of the keg, tumbling out of the blast radius. Within seconds, the explosives detonated and Josie dug her claws into Faye's arms. She winced in pain and quickly cleared the three laser beams, one sluggishly sweeping the floor while the others were dormant. Josie immediately jumped out of her grip and into Natasha's arms.

"Shh… It's okay, Josie. It's okay," Natasha said soothingly, trying to calm down her cat.

"I'm going back in," said Faye, "Stay here and hide if someone comes." With that, she crossed over the lasers again and made her way back to the second floor of the Spice Grinder room. She poked her head inside and looked around.

_"__Do you remember how you got through this part in the game?"_ Yami asked.

_"__Unfortunately, yes,"_ Faye answered, wanting to thunk her skull against the wall for being so stupid. When she did not respond immediately, Yami inquired,

_"__What is it?"_ Faye mentally slapped herself,

_"__I have to knock out the guards to get the TNT barrel into the spice basin." _

_"__So lure them away," _Yami insisted,_ "You can imitate Rajan pretty well. All you have to do hack into the intercom and order them to leave."_ Faye pondered for a moment before a sly grin spread over her face.

_"…__Or accept a new employee… Any idea on how to access the intercom system?"_

_"__You're lucky I was here for a spell,"_ Yami said as Faye moved back down the corridor,_ "First, you'll need to find a wire leading to the intercom system. It's usual somewhere easily accessible in case maintenance is needed, but it's also hidden to prevent sabotage."_

"_Great. So where is it?"_ Faye put her hand on the wall, feeling for anything suspicious or out of place. Yami's voice resonated,

_"__I don't know,"_ Faye groaned as Yami continued,_ "All I remember is something breaking in the background." _Faye raised an eyebrow as she rounded the corner and spotted the pottery.

_"__Something like a jar, maybe?"_ She reached inside a large urn and felt around the bottom. She pulled out her hand in failure and dust, blowing on it and wiping it on her shirt.

"Nothing," she muttered. She reached out for another jar and stopped. After a moment, she pushed the earthenware crafts aside with her cane. The large one in particular refused to move an inch. Faye chuckled and grinned, teeth showing eerily, as she raised her cane and brought it down forcefully upon the pottery.

_"__That…made **Neyla's** smug face look nice," _Yami commented. Faye, half-hearing Yami's remark, only murmured,

"Huh…" She looked down at a small box in the ground generating a small buzzing noise. A small cover was held in place by a few screws. Faye drew a claw from her right index finger and used the very end as a screwdriver to twist the screws one by one from their places. The claw was neither broke nor bent by the time she was finished. She then carefully lifted the plate and set it aside, peering inside the device. Faye chuckled and thought,

_"__This is starting to feel like a video game already."_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Back at the safe house, the gang awaited around the table, listening for any messages that might come through. Sly intently watched the radio, Bentley typed away on his laptop with a headset over his head, and Murray stared out at the worsening storming outside. Sly shifted his gaze to Bentley and was about to speak when his brainy pal beat him to the punch,

"I'm still getting a signal, Sly. Don't worry," he looked up from his laptop, "Besides, I thought you said she was a natural born thief?" Sly leaned over the table with his left arm resting on it as he spoke,

"She has the potential, but she needs practice. I'm not even sure she's been thieving for that long." Bentley nodded, returning his gaze to his laptop for a moment,

"That's highly probable considering her actions." He looked back up at Sly who had lowered his head. A rare intensity burned in his eyes, as if he was trying to figure something out. "…That's not your main concern, is it?" Sly shook his head, not peering up,

"Something happened out there… Faye was scared but…I don't think it was from the guards…" Faye's frightful voice echoed through his mind.

"_**S-S-S-S-Sly? Would you…still be my friend…even if… Even if…"**_

Murray unexpectedly spoke up, turning around with his hands on his hips,

"Not to worry! 'The Murray' will instill bravery into our young friend so that nothing will ever make her quake in fear again!" He flexed his muscles and put on a confident face as Bentley and Sly looked up at him. Sly gave a slight smile in part to his friend's simple answer; the other in that it might be needed.

"Hmm…" Bentley pondered, "Perhaps I could teach her to hack… At least through simple levels of firewalls." Sly chimed in,

"And what harm could there be in teaching her a few Cooper family moves?"

"None," Bentley said, beaming. Static came over the radio preceding Natasha's voice,

"Bentley…? Anybody…?" Bentley pushed a key and said,

"What's the matter, Natasha?"

"I think we're almost done," she said, "Faye found something in the ground and-"

"Attention guards!" came a rough voice in the background, "I have sent over a new recruit to help protect the spice grinder! Any disputes and I will personally send you down the river!"

"Doesn't sound like Rajan," Sly commented. Natasha giggled from her end of the line,

"Faye imitates Rajan really good."

"Uh-oh!" Murray said, looking outside the safe house.

"What?" Sly asked, walking over to see what caught his eye.

Walking about the temple ruins was none other than Rajan. In his hand was a staff with half of the Clockwerk heart on it.

"That's not good," said Sly, "If he gets to the Spice Grinder room…" Bentley got up from his seat and peered outside as well. Upon spotting Rajan, his eyes bulged,

"We have to keep him away from Faye and Natasha's location," he looked at his partners in crime, "Sly, you go get Faye and Natasha, Murray, you stay here in case they come back," he grabbed his crossbow from the table and cocked it, "I'll keep Rajan distracted."

"Alright," Sly said as he grabbed his cane, "Let's go." Bentley quickly contacted Natasha as Sly left and Murray sat down,

"Whatever you do, don't leave without Faye. Contact my earcom when you're done."

"Um…okay…" Natasha said, puzzled why Bentley said what he did. With that, he ran out the door as fast as his little turtle legs could carry him.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Natasha shook her head as she watched Faye stand up and make her way into the room ahead.

"Faye, no!" she cried, whispering just low enough so the guards would not hear. Faye, however, was already praying her plan would work, though it depended on the intelligence of the rhinos she was coming upon. As she neared, she said in a slightly British female voice,

"Rajan sent me to take care of things 'ere. A bit fretful, don't you think?"

_'That was awful.'_ The first rhino was about to advance on her when the one patrolling the basin of spice put his hand on the other's shoulder to stop him.

"Jarvis, do you really want to get on Rajan's bad side?" Jarvis growled,

"He must be _really_ paranoid if he's sending a female to guard the spice grinder." He moved his light forward to get a good look at Faye, but she stepped back and said,

"I'm afraid I have a trifle liking for the darkness. I will keep watch over the entrance while you blokes patrol the basin. Is that clear?"

"Crystal!" said the second rhino. Jarvis merely muttered as he shook his head,

"Yeah, yeah…" Faye smiled as the two rhinos began patrolling the spice grinder in opposite directions. As soon as they turned away from her, she jumped down to the level below and hopped inside another TNT barrel. Once again, she waited for the guards to pass before tiptoeing towards the cavern of lasers.

_"__I can't believe that worked…"_ Yami echoed as Faye sneaked by the guards.

_"__I know. I mean, I know that they can be fooled by a moose head on a pink hippo, but that was just ridiculous," _Faye thought as she waited for a rhino guard to pass before entering the subterranean passage. After a moment, she moved past the guard and into the passageway, making her way to the spotlights. She took a deep breath then moved on, taking care of each step she took. There was no need to rush and fail being so close to her mission's goal. She made sure to keep to one side of the corridor and stopped when necessary so the spotlight above her would not detect her. As Faye made it to the end, she heard Natasha say with excitement,

"Faye!" She set the barrel down and saw Natasha waving from the other side of the floor lasers. "Make sure to get me a picture of the spice grinder!" Faye nodded, concentrating more on not blowing up, and moved onward down the last corridor. She passed the lasers without much effort as far as strategy went; she was using more energy on carrying the barrel and tiptoeing than anything else.

As Faye came into the spice grinder room, everything went black. A flash of lightning brought her to her senses and rain fell upon her, though Faye was not paying much attention to it. What disturbed her more was that an ugly baboon was staring her right in the face with an evil grin. He wore a drenched white lab coat from what she could see from her point of view and there was a feeling of not being in the jungle anymore as there were no trees around them.

"Ah… A _Homo sapien_…" he said sinisterly, "You will make an interesting guinea pig." Lightning flashed in front Faye before the dimness of the spice grinder room came back to her eyesight. Still in the barrel, she held her head and closed her eyes tight.

"Who the heck was that?" she said to herself. Faye opened her eyes, "I've never seen him before…" She shuddered as the crazed primate's words and silently prayed that he was from the false reality. Taking a shaky deep breath and letting it out, Faye took out her binocucom and focused on the spice grinder. She took a snapshot and put her gadget back in her thigh pack, grasping the handles at the bottom and carrying on towards the basin in the middle of the room. She stopped on the wooden walkway leading to her destination and let go of the inner handles. She was shaken and unsureness started to take over her. Faye gripped her hands together and slowly took a deep breath to steady herself. She grabbed the inner handles one last time and, when the rhino guard had crossed paths in front of her, quickly sneaked over to the basin and set the TNT barrel down. Swiftly, Faye leaped out of the keg and somersaulted out onto the walkway just as the dynamite detonated, sending the rhinos flying off the sides and into the other two guards below. All four were knocked unconscious as Faye, in an adrenaline rush, sprinted back to where she left Natasha and Josie. As she did, Rajan's voice came over the intercom,

"What's going on down there? Looks like Spice production has fallen behind! Wait…it's completely stopped!" Natasha came jogging up with Josie in her arms. She smiled and said,

"You did it!"

"Yeah. Now let's run," Faye said shortly as she started running towards the floor lasers left from the explosion of a security box. "And good job getting past the lasers," she added, leaping over said lasers with Natasha right behind her. Though they stopped short upon seeing a familiar figure drop down from above and landing gracefully on the ground. Sly ambled over to Faye and Natasha and stopped in front of them.

"Are you guys…girls okay?" he asked, "Bentley sent me out to see if you needed help." Natasha shook her head vigorously,

"We did okay. Faye just blew up the Spice Grinder and it was all-" Natasha made several explosion noises before speaking again, "It was awesome!" Faye shook her head, figuring Natasha caught a glimpse of the explosion and imagined the rest, and smiled,

"I took a few bumps from the ceiling," she rubbed her head, "But we're okay."

"Alright," said Sly, "It looks like you had things under control. Let's get back to the safe house." Natasha and Faye walked behind Sly as he led the way out. He stopped after a few steps and said,

"You two go on ahead. There's something I need to do."

"Okay," Natasha and Faye said in unison as they walked over, and bounced on, the strange fungus. Sly pressed in the dial on his earcom and whispered,

"They did just fine Bentley. I told you she had potential." Bentley responded,

"That may be, but we had better keep an eye on both her and Natasha. Natasha's too young and inexperienced and it seems that this was indeed Faye's first time out on the field."

"You did well on _your_ first field job. I mean, how many teenagers, nevertheless a human, get a job with TNT barrels and make it out without getting blasted?" Sly asked, using that Cooper charm of his. Bentley replied casually,

"Yes, well, as remarkable as it is that a supposedly extinct species is turning into the thief of tomorrow, she still has a lot to learn." Sly smirked a bit,

"Yeah, yeah. We'll stick to the plan and give them a push in the right direction."

"Just remember to stay clear of Rajan while you return to the safe house," Bentley warned, "I'll concentrate on getting the blueprints off of Rajan." Sly nodded as he responded,

"Got it. We'll meet you back at the safe house." Sly put up his binocucom and bounced on the mushroom with one thing in mind: Getting back to the safe house with Faye, Natasha, and Josie in one piece.

* * *

SQ: (Looks at file marked "U.N.D.A.") Oops! No one was supposed to see that. (Crumples up paper and stuffs it in pocket) Now, a few notes to get out of the way. I reposted edited versions of most, if not all, of the chapters for grammical mistakes and more. The old versions have been uploaded elsewhere to preserve them, so don't freak. Second, I try not to offend people when choosing and using guard names and if I have I am really sorry about that. The déjà vu feeling Faye got was because that was the way Sly rolled in the first game. I had a list of which Cooper ancestor made what move, but I have to look for it still. (grumbles) I have also been playing the new Zelda game and have been reminded of what stories and games are all about: the surprises. He heh. If you thought the whole Yami Faye thing was shocking, wait till you see what's in store for the next chapter. It'll knock your socks off and bound to drop jaws. Ahem. Well we might as well get on with what we were talking about before.

Faye: I don't get why you're here, Trinity. Weren't you-

Trinity: Looking up the script for the sequel? (Looks to audience) You heard me.

SQ: (Laughs) That's right! There's going to be a sequel to this fanfiction. I just have a little trouble on the title, but there's plenty of time before the finale for that. Heh heh. I wish I could tell more, but it would ruin the surprise. (Bursting with excitement; smiling)

Faye: The insane brain of SmashQueen works again.

SQ: Heh, heh. If I said everything I have in store, people would freak. And I'm not talking about the plot. Until next time…

SQ, Faye, and Trinity: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief!

SQ: And I've come from the future to put in another edit/note. Whoop-dee-doo. 'Teach Faye some family moves? Idiot!' Well, I never said they were going to be excellent ones. Maybe just brush up on the Rail Walk or pick-pocketing or something. Simple stuff, ya know? Now go on to the next chapter.


	17. Unfortunate Fate for Faye

SQ: Wow. Chapter 17. Amazing. I would just like to say thank you very much to everyone that has reviewed and read the story thus far. I could have never – and I mean _never_ – have gotten to this point in the story if it weren't for your encouragement, ideas, questions, and general feedback. It's exactly what I need to keep going or see if anything needs improvement. I am terribly sorry for the delay and I'll spare the details. As for the chapter, Bentley's slide show speech has one word replaced since I couldn't tell what in the world he was saying. I'm sorry, I tried but I would have needed to look through a Bentley-preferred dictionary to find out and that would have taken time I did not have (did anyone _really_ want to wait any longer?). With that said, I guess we're ready to start.

Faye: …Aren't you going to say it?

SQ: No. It would give too many people heart attacks right now and I would receive a never-ending stream of mail about it, wanting me to hurry up and get to the ending, not that I don't want to get there.

Faye: Good point. Heh heh. I like the ending.

SQ: -.- Of course you do. It's the greatest thing since the Clock-La-Beatings of '04.

Faye: …Hmm. More or less. It depends if you like-

SQ: (covers Faye's mouth) Darned it! Don't spoil it!

Natasha: (sneaks out on stage) Um… Welcome to Chapter Seventeen of Sly as a Cooper. Please enjoy.

Josie: Mew!

Disclaimer: … If I owned Sly's copyrights, I would dye his hat pink and give it to Murray, the ultimate Sly fan. …I don't have his hat. …Yet.

_Chapter 17: Unfortunate Fate for Faye_

Sly, Faye, and Natasha, holding Josie within her sweatshirt, hid behind a crumbling tower just south of Rajan's office. The grass was slick and the dirt was loose enough from the water to leave a deep impression or take off a shoe. Josie's head popped out Natasha's shirt and looked around before quickly retreating from the pouring rain. The three kept their breathing as silent as possible as they waited in the harsh weather. Faye whispered to Sly with slight anger in her voice,

"I can't believe you waited for us to get out here before you mentioned Rajan was on the prowl!" Sly whispered back,

"If I had told you earlier, you would have freaked. Besides, you need to be calm," he looked at her, "Especially if you're aiming to be a Master Thief." He smirked after speaking and Faye glanced at the ground for a moment.

"I know, I know," she grumbled, "Being calm makes it easier to think." She smirked back just before Bentley contacted Sly,

"Sly, where are you, Faye, and Natasha?" Sly reached for his earcom,

"We're all behind the crumbling tower on the east side. What about you?" Natasha titled her head in confusion, wondering what Sly and Bentley were talking about while Faye held her forearm where Neyla burned her. After a moment, Sly said,

"…Alright then. We're moving out," he released his earcom and looked at Natasha and Faye, "Bentley, wants us to get back to the safe house as soon as he lures Rajan away."

"Right," Natasha said as she held Josie close. Faye just nodded and waited for Sly to lead.

Just after a tense minute, an elephant with a spotlight projector on its back passed by and Sly said,

"Let's go." He led the group down the muddy road back to the safe house, sneaking and trying to keep their feet unstuck the entire way. Lightning lit up the sky and Faye's eye caught the glint of something near the river just three feet away. She put a finger to her lips to Natasha as they neared and quickly veered off course for a moment. The object she was eying was an iron symbol of a globe in a bird's talons with a rod wielded on to hold it. She grabbed the object that she had seen and put it in her pack before power-walking up behind Sly again, grateful that, possibly, no one else had seen what she had gazed upon.

_"That…was the object Neyla burned you with…wasn't it?"_ echoed Yami. Faye mentally sighed,

_"Yeah. I just hope that I can dispose of it without any problems."_ Keeping her guard up in worry and nervousness, Faye kept herself alert as she followed their experienced leader. The walk itself back to the safe house was muddy, cold, and prolonged and by the time Sly, Faye, and Natasha got to the skull, they were drenched from head to toe. Natasha shivered and chattered her teeth as she situated herself in a corner that was dry.

"Ah-choo!" she sniffled. Bentley reached inside his backpack and pulled out a verdant blanket.

"I thought we might need this just in case the weather got the best of one of us," he said. Faye took the blanket and sauntered over to Natasha, teeth slightly chattering.

"Here," she said simply, handing it to Natasha. The little panther quickly took it and wrapped herself in it.

"You better go on and rest a little, too, Faye," Bentley said as he cocked his crossbow and loaded it with sleep darts equipped with sonic disrupters. "Depending upon the severity of the upcoming jobs, we may have to wait until tomorrow to continue our caper. …Or at least until the weather improves." Faye sighed and nodded, resting her cane against the wall,

"Yeah. I guess we wouldn't want to be worn out before a mission." She sat down next to Natasha and continued, "The last thing we need is one of us being slugged by a guard and thrown into the river because of a lack of energy." Faye reached into her thigh pack and gently pulled out her mask and binocucom, being careful not to show the brander she had collected, and set them beside her to dry. She pulled off her gloves, shoes, and socks and wrung out her hair before huddling in her space to keep warm.

"Merrow?" Josie jumped from Natasha's arms under the blanket and into Faye's lap, curling up and closing her eyes. Faye smiled tenderly, like that forgotten so long ago by her world, and benevolently wrapped her arms around the small form. Her heart suddenly felt warm and her worries and foreboding thoughts left her mind. Faye's eyelids slowly fluttered shut and she slouched against the wall, unwillingly falling into the darkness of slumber.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye awoke in darkness; the all-too-familiar darkness of her mind where she met Yami. At least, it was the only explanation for why the Cooper Gang was no where to be seen and why no sound reached her ears.

"Welcome once again to your subconscious, Faye," Yami's voice echoed. A spotlight came on in front of her where Yami stood, injuries still visible on her person. "Excuse me for calling you here, but I believe there is something from the false reality that you would like to see?" Before she could ask how her alternate self had forced her to come there, Faye suddenly recalled their deal in the passages leading to the spice grinder.

"_**If you make it through this, I will show you whatever you want from the false reality."**_

"Or is there something you would like to ask of me?" Yami added while crossing her arms, never glancing away from her alternate self. Faye gazed at the floor, or whatever it was in her subconscious, and muttered,

"Yeah…" she looked up again and asked, "Natasha…Was she in the false reality?" Yami seemed taken aback, her eyes widening a bit.

"In the false reality…" she began, "her step-father didn't appear on the news announcing her death. Although…" she paused a moment, "I _do_ recall someone mentioning a Vermon Venery being divorced at Interpol when I was there with Neyla. That could have very well been him."

"Then what happened?" Faye inquired, "What was so different from this world that-?" She paused. Everything from the day she met Natasha came flooding back, piecing together the broken puzzle in her mind. Faye's mouth slightly dropped open in horror and shock. "Her mother died… Natasha never mentioned much about her mother, only about her step-dad. Natasha wouldn't have run off if her mother was there, so… Oh my…" Faye covered her mouth, shakily breathing as she closed her watery eyes. It was a while before her breaths became steady as tears streamed down her cheeks, and when she did, she lowered her hand and said as stable as she could, "He killed her… That's all there is to it. He killed her." Yami shook her head and brought her arms to her sides,

"There must have been some reason Natasha's mother did not die in the false reality. Perhaps in time we will learn the truth behind the tragedy." Silence followed. Not a word was uttered as they each averted the other's gaze in the darkness of Faye's subconscious. Seconds; moments crept by as if time had then decided to crawl since it could not catch the moment at hand. Time was frozen, if not for a brief period, in that space within the mind of a youth that was trapped in a prison of her own words and deception from others.

"What torment…must one endure for a hopeful wish that should have never come to be…and the burden of lies upon one's heart?" Faye muttered as she stared at the floor. Though as much as she tried, she could not remember where she has heard it from. The memory seemed so distant and out of reach. As she strained to recall who had spoken the phrase, the floor became gray and cracked, almost like the rooftop of a building that had been hit by an earthquake.

"Behold," uttered Yami, standing on the same surface, "the world of the false reality." She then pointed down below, Faye's eyes following, to herself, before the Klaww Gang did away with her, walking along the cracked and broken street of a town somewhere in the world. It was as if an earthquake of great magnitude had nearly shaken it to mere rubble. Ominous clouds hung in the night sky as she walked down the once bustling, but now desolate avenue. Lampposts were not on the sidewalk, but instead bent and scattered about and some were even inside the houses. Mailboxes, cars, streetlights, street signs, and trees were also askew. The Yami below gazed at her surroundings, the images of laughing children and good people who had once resided there fading into view around her briefly before sinking back into the hereafter.

"This massive destruction had been my fault," Yami said beside Faye, "If it had not been for me, everyone would have still been there. It was not my world to deal in, but thanks to the "K-Lawws" it was. They had taken away my memories just for their own gain and no matter how much I tried, I could not get them back." The scene shifted to the same room where the alternate younger Faye had been thrown inside a capsule to age her three years. In fact, the capsule was still there and the Contessa was working at a console, pressing various buttons.

"Remember this?" asked Yami as she and Faye floated in the rafters. The capsule below them opened, steam pouring out as an older Faye stumbled out, holding her head. Neyla stood before her, scythe in hand, as the teen held the door of the capsule to keep herself up.

"Come Faye," said Neyla, extending the scythe, "Bringer of Death, I endow you with this scythe to carry out the will of justice." The alternate Faye peered the traitorous tigress in the eye and, without a word, took the scythe. Yami solemnly spoke again as the scene faded out into nothingness, just where they had started,

"And with that, I became the emissary of death, unknowingly kicking the cogs of Fate into high gear." She shook her head and lowered it, "How I wished I could have turned back time, even for an instant, to stop this mess. I could have stopped myself from insulting the Klaww Gang and escaping to help Sly and his gang… But they were gone… All gone. The only one left was Bentley." She lifted her head and connected her gaze with Faye's, "And he was willing to help salvage the last remains of that world to save it… With my help. At the time, I wished with my heart that I could have been him…or at the very least dead…" Yami looked away for a moment as she continued, "But then I wound up here after my latter desire came to be… Who knows if it was Fate…? Or destiny. But I was given a second chance to assist in saving Sly's world. A world that was just as real as my home world that was wiped from my memory." Faye bit her lower lip, trying to take everything in.

"Just as real…" she murmured.

"That's right," Yami added, "If you make a joke, they will laugh. If you tell them a tragic tale, they will cry. If you cut them, they will bleed. And if you befriend them, they will love you." Faye struggled to grasp everything that had just been handed to her.

"It's real…" she said to herself, "It's real… It's real…" She continually repeated those words to herself, as if to reaffirm the reality she had found herself in. "The worlds we see in books, movies, and games… Is it possible…that…they're real…?" From that one inquiry, a thousand more sprang up without an answer. Instead of fading, however, each gave way for a hundred more without end, filling her mind with an endless abyss of questions. Her head started to ache, but the inquisitions would neither leave nor fade, but instead increased in intensity. Faye held her head and fell to her knees, unable to stand the pressure any longer. Finally, under the burden of her unrelenting mind, she screamed out the words echoing within,

"Why was I sent here? Why is it so different from our world? Why did Natasha's mother die? Why did the Klaww Gang choose me? Why does it have to be this way?" Faye took a few breaths, put her hands to her sides, and calmly said the rest of what was on her mind in rhythmic manner to keep her breath steady; "Do they care? …Does the Cooper Gang trust me? Do they accept me? What am I supposed to do? Should I stay with them, or try to stop the Klaww Gang before things get out of hand?" As she muttered other inquiries from her mind, time seemed to be nonexistent. So many questions issued forth, like a floodgate had been opened after a thousand years' worth of rainfall. They were innumerable and never ending as Yami gazed upon her, sitting down as well and listening to every word from the youth's mouth.

Finally, just as her questions halted, time seemed to be on the move yet again. Faye's head throbbed as she held it. Never had so much information filled her mind at once.

"Will that be all?" Yami asked, getting to her feet. With a slightly weary mind, Faye said,

"I… I think so. Just…no more questions, please." Yami's mouth opened to speak, but no sound came forth. Faye closed her eyes for a while to rest, and did not notice that, in her weary state of mind, the darkness of sleep took over, leaving Yami to ponder the words Faye had released.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

As she came to, Bentley's voice was the first to reach Faye's ears,

"Almost got it. Oh, you're awake." Sly, Natasha, and Bentley, all at the table with Murray, looked at her as she rose. She stretched her arms, feeling her right shoulder pop, and walked over near Natasha, who was wrapped in Bentley's blanket with Josie in her lap.

"So what'd I miss?" Faye asked, trying to get her disoriented mind back on track.

"Well," began Bentley, "The weather has lightened, I have collected the blueprints from Rajan, and we are about to start the slide show." Faye smiled gently, though her head was still throbbing, and said,

"Let's get started then." She sat down as Bentley typed away on his laptop and said as multiple images came on the rock wall,

"I've got some bad news… Rajan has gone into hiding somewhere in the temple. I guess the destruction of his satellite array, Faye and Natasha's destruction of the Spice Grinder, and my invasion of his personal space to get the blueprints spooked him. To get his portion of the Clockwerk heart, we'll have to drive him out into the open. Given Rajan's spice idled temper, I recommend making him angry. First, Sly will meet with Neyla near the north-western waterfall. She seems to know some information that, if she is true to form, will surely aid us in our endeavors to tick off our egotistic "friend." Since spice production has halted, we'll then demolish the dam above the temple in an attempt to flood him out. If that doesn't work, I've made arrangements to exchange one of the temple's florid rubies for some high explosions, which, if necessary, we can use to flood the whole temple grotto. If my psychological profile is accurate, Rajan should pick up the other half of the Clockwerk heart before making his escape. Effectively bringing it to us."

With the briefing over, Sly got up and stretched as Murray, Bentley, and Natasha stayed seated. Faye gazed at the wall for a few seconds, even though no more images were being produced on it, before directing her gaze to the ground, not a sign of glee upon her face, but instead a sense of seriousness and wonder. Natasha was the first to witness her expression.

"Faye?" she inquired with a slight tone of worry. The Cooper Gang directed their attention to the disarrayed adolescent. Sly, who had neared the entrance, slowly ambled over, putting his left hand on Faye's right shoulder.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked sincerely. Sorting out the multitude of inquiries in her mind, Faye held her head with her right hand, avoiding Sly's gaze, and slightly groaned,

"Uh…" she shook her head tried to ignore her headache as she continued, "I just have a lot on my mind. I'll be okay after we kick Rajan's butt," she clinched her teeth in pain and let her hand drop, revealing a small smile that slowly grew, "get the Clockwerk heart, and get some of that Indian food we got a whiff of getting out of the van." Murray promptly began drooling all over the table, nearly drowning Bentley's laptop.

"Oh!" Natasha said as Bentley picked up his barely surviving laptop, "I got the clues you wanted, Bentley." She reached into her pockets and pulled out about a dozen or so crumpled scraps of paper with all sorts of numbers and letters on them. "I'm sorry I couldn't get them all." Bentley took the papers and began flattening each one out.

"That's quite all right," he said, "The important thing is that you returned safely from your mission." Natasha lowered her head a bit,

"Well, if Faye hadn't come to the rescue, there's no telling what may have happened." Faye turned her attention to the gang, lowered her stare to the table, sighed, and said slowly, as if to believe the words in whole,

"Sly, Bentley, Murray," she lifted her head with a genuine smile, holding back tears that threatened to fall, "Thanks for trusting me." The emotions reflecting in her orbs must have shocked the trio more than her statement fore it was a moment after Faye had gazed upon them, taking them aback, when Sly spoke first,

"You've earned it."

"'_The Murray'_ agrees!" Murray blurted out in his heroic voice, "To put the needs of others before yourself is a true sign that we may endow you with our trust!" Natasha slightly chuckled at Murray's enthusiasm as Bentley nodded,

"I agree. Your choices have been risky, but they have helped us considerably."

"There's no telling what we would do without you," Natasha said jovially.

"_They'll never know just how much it means to me,"_ Faye thought as she continued to smile, tears streaming down her cheeks and new confidence gradually beginning to stir inside her. She lowered her head slightly and muttered quietly and sincerely,

"Thank you." Sly gently smiled as a speechless moment fell upon the five in the safe house. Only rainfall could reach their ears and the occasional roar of thunder far off in the distance.

Not too long after, Bentley cleared his throat and said,

"Well, we'd better get a move on. The weather has lightened up and Rajan still has possession of the Clockwerk heart." Faye nodded and rose from her seat, kneeling down near her possessions she had taken off earlier. She grabbed one glove and slipped it over her left hand, making sure the glove was on snuggly, and put on the other just the same. She put her socks on, now dry, and her shoes, still damp within, and carefully put on her mask, picking the binocucom last and sliding it in her thigh pack. Standing up, she grabbed her cane and turned to the Cooper Gang, a daring smile across her face.

"Let's go kick some tail!" she said boldly.

_'Man that's lame.'_

"Yeah!" Natasha cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

"Well then," said Sly, peering at Faye, "if we're all in agreement, then we should get going." Faye nodded with a smile and trailed after him out the door just as Rajan's voice bellowed over the speaker from Bentley's laptop,

"Do you think I'm a fool? That is nonsense!" Faye slowed down, interested in what he had to say, "Now get out of my office before I rip your limbs off," Murray put his hands over Natasha's ears and she did the same for Josie as Rajan continued, "feed them to the cobras, and throw the rest of you in the river!" Rajan roared tremendously, leaving the room silent as nothing else came over it. Faye blinked as Sly motioned his head towards the door. She promptly followed him outside, shutting the door behind them, as they made their way to the north-western waterfall. Yami spoke not a word to Faye so she could concentrate on dodging the guards and getting to the Sly icon marked "Neyla's Secret." Sly and Faye crept past the semi-circle of stones and several monkey and rhino guards to their destination. As the two reached the icon, Neyla gracefully jumped down from a branch above, whip in her right hand, and landed on the ground on both feet. She turned around and said casually,

"Cooper and Faytin, we meet again."

"Constable Neyla," said Sly as if they were old friends, "Thanks for not ratting us out at the ball."

_'The other Klaww Gang members would have hunted me down.'_

"Oh I should be thanking you," she put her left hand on her hip, "the look on Carmelita's face was priceless." Faye's left eye barely twitched as the thought of a flamethrower aimed at Neyla entered her mind. Sly crossed his arms and said,

"She took it hard huh?"

_'Duh, she loves you.'_

"No one likes to have their affections played with," Neyla glanced at Faye, "Right, Faytin?"

"Right," said Faye, a tint of maliciousness reflecting in her eyes as she resisted an acid tone. Sly chimed in,

"I know I certainly don't," he uncrossed his arms and eyed the tigress sincerely, "Look Neyla, as soon as this India job is over why don't you and I go out on the town? We'll dance through Bollywood and eat curry all night long." Faye mentally gagged, wanting to strangle the tigress on the spot.

_'Don't be so romantic to that sack of scum…'_

"I'll keep it in mind…but first the task at hand. I've learned of a secret entrance leading to half of the Clockwerk Heart. _Legally_ I can't enter the premises without a warrant…but now a couple thieves like _you_…" She crossed her arms as Sly finished,

"Thieves like _us_ can go wherever they please. I read you."

_'So did I in the boardroom that scandalous, traitorous…'_

"Don't fall behind while I lead you to the entrance. This place is thick with guards and standing still can be lethal." Sly nodded,

"I hear that sister." The moment he finished, Neyla took off and the duo took chase. Immediately, Neyla took out a primate with her whip as she sprinted, yellow sparks flying from her weapon and leaving a trail to follow. Faye kept behind Sly as he caught up with Neyla down the road where she knocked out a rhino. They raced over vines, wooden bridges, and the tops of buildings in an awkward pattern to the top of the temple. All the while Neyla took out any guard, from goats to rhinos, all the way to the secret entrance and often left Sly and Faye to deal with a guard who had heard, but not seen, Neyla as they dashed through the temple ruins. When they came to the lily pads, Faye knew they were almost done, but her side was hurting and she began to slow down. She ended up stopping on a lily pad for a moment and carefully leapt from one to another. Meanwhile, Sly and Neyla got ahead of her and by the time she was on the other side of the pond, they were almost there. Faye began to run again, trying to ignore the pain, and made it across the gaps in the walkway just in time to here Sly say,

"There you are." Faye halted in her tracks and propping herself up by putting her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

_'I forgot how much that hurt.'_

"_You don't exercise enough,"_ Yami commented.

"_Shut…up… Stupid stairs…"_ Faye thought as she focused her sights on Neyla, the one who had branded her with the cursed mark of the Klaww Gang.

"This is it," said Neyla, referring to a keypad in the wall next to an off-color rock, "And remember, if push comes to shove I never showed you this door…We're on for that date in Bollywood…and…" Faye glared at Neyla, catching one another eyes, as Sly said,

"And?…" Faye gripped her cane, knowing the tigress was up to something as she peered at Sly.

"You must know…there's a traitor in your midst," Neyla stated, acid on the last of her words.

"What?" Sly asked, his ears perking up. Faye's muscles tensed; she knew what was coming. She did not have time to think of something that could make Sly continue to trust her as Neyla spoke,

"Faye is a member of the Klaww Gang." Faye's heart skipped a beat and tears unwillingly welled up in her eyes. Sly turned his head towards her with shock and disbelief written on his face.

"Faye…" he uttered in uncertainty. Said teenager kept her fists as her sides, reframing herself from acting out as best she could. Neyla immediately cut in,

"She's been spying on you; planning your downfall," As tears threatened to fall, it became difficult to restrain herself and barely a half second after Neyla spoke, Faye snapped.

"Liar!" she abruptly blurted with a growl, pouncing at Neyla without another thought. She sent Neyla to the ground, but that changed in an instant when Neyla's feet pressed against her stomach and sent her flying forwards over the constable's head into the stone wall, though not before catching her makeshift dressing on her forearm with two claws. Faye's shoulder hit the rough surface first and she landed with an "oof," not really noticing the cloth was gone. She got to her feet and charged at the witch with her cane. Lightning lit up the sky as she shouted out a battle cry from the depths of her lungs. Her gaze focused only upon the traitor; hatred glowing in her eyes. In the illumination of the lightning as it began to fade, a slender silhouette appeared before her eyes. The next thing Faye knew, she was doubled over in pain while standing there, a cylinder-like object pressed against her stomach. Trying to catch her breath, Faye peered up and her eyes bulged and tears streamed down her cheeks. Sly Cooper had halted her attack and his cane was still against her abdomen.

"Sly…" she said breathlessly. His oaken orbs peered at her through the darkness reflecting shame, distrust, and discouragement at her actions. Faye backed away from the two, standing up straight and wondering what to do. It was as if the three were on different sides; Sly and Neyla against Faye. Each stood there, though only two were shocked at what had just transpired. As time passed, Neyla interrupted the extended moment,

"…I must be going. I have a job to do after all." With that, she leapt into the air and slipped through a hole in the surface where the bricks of the temple had crumbled, leaving Sly and Faye to face one another in the torrent. The teen's heart was bruised once more and looking at Sly made it worse. Thoughts of her situation clouded Faye's mind, worsening by the second.

"Faye…" Sly began uncertainly, but she interrupted in a shaky and broken voice,

"Sly…you should decide…who you should trust," hot tears came forth as she continued, "…Do what you must. I'm out of here." Faye turned and ran, jumping to the ground below.

"Faye…" Sly muttered to himself in disbelief as he somewhat outstretched his empty hand. He shook his head and watched as she dashed off into the blackness of the night, leaving the stunned thievius raccoonus to ponder and wonder about the truth about the would-be thief and what-if friend.

* * *

Natasha: Wahh! (sniff) Why doesn't anybody believe Faye? (sniff; looks around) Hey…what happened to SmashQueen and Faye?

Josie: Purr… (tilts head) Mew?

Natasha: (sniff) I think they _did_ run off a while ago.

Josie: Meow? (tilts head up)

Natasha: Hmm? (takes scrap of paper from Josie's collar; stops crying) …It's a note from SmashQueen. "To Natasha, Faye and I went to go over the second-to-last boss battle for Sly as a Cooper. It's been sort of a goal for some time now to get to that point. The chapter title has even been decided and the event is sure to please almost everyone, especially Faye. Please take over for a while with Trinity while I go over some notes and get some things out of the way. See you later. Signed, SmashQueen. P.S. Please tell Rexus to stop loitering around in the maze underneath the parking lot between and during chapters. It's getting frustrating trying to find him in the sublevels." (blink) …Ironic. (turns paper over) "Notes: Faye's battle cry was like that from Dragonball Z when the Z fighters charged at an enemy. Please forgive the ending. I needed the chapter up and had to wrap it up." …Huh. Now, did I forget anything?

Josie: Merrrrrow?

Natasha: Oh yeah! Thanks for reading! Review if you have time and…um…

Josie: Meow.

Natasha: What she said. Until next time! May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief!


	18. Truth

Trinity: (standing on stage in a spotlight) Welcome once again to the unbelievable world of Sly as a Cooper on this latest installment. SmashQueen has yet to return so the young Miss Venery and I shall be here in her place.

Natasha: Don't forget Josie!

Josie: Mew!

Trinity: (bows) I thank you all on SmashQueen's behalf for all reviews and support thus far and hope it continues onto the sequel and beyond.

**Disclaimer: **SmashQueen does not own any copyrights whatsoever to the Sly Cooper franchise.

_Chapter 18: Truth_

Natasha sat in her chair by the safe house's lone wobbly table with Josie in her lap, swinging her legs back and forth as she stroked the kitten's fur. Murray, sitting on her right, gently scratched the adorable furball's chin while waiting for his cue to go out into the field. Bentley, the amazing multi-tasking turtle that he was, kept alert at his laptop, waiting for anyone to contact him as he analyzed the data that had been previously collected from the clue bottles in the relentless torrent outside. All was quiet save for the click-clacking of keys, Josie's elated purring, and the occasional boom of thunder from outside. A small beep from the laptop disturbed the somewhat tranquil atmosphere and Sly's voice came from the built-in speakers,

"Hey, Bentley…has Faye come back yet?" The brainiac pressed a few keys as he paused his work, bringing up a map of the surrounding area with color appropriate markers for each person on it. He said,

"No, she hasn't. …What happened?" Natasha stopped moving her legs and perked her ears up. There was a couple of seconds of silence before Sly spoke solemnly,

"…Faye might be a member of the Klaww Gang." At that, Natasha's eyes bulged and she sat up, forcing Josie to jump off, and exclaimed,

"What?"

"She had the symbol of the Klaww Gang on her forearm," continued Sly, barely hearing Natasha, "Found it out when she and Neyla got into a tussle." Natasha balled her hands into fists and shouted,

"That's not true! Faye's _not_ a member of the Klaww Gang!"

"Natasha," Bentley began in a melancholy voice, "I know this is hard for you-" The little panther interrupted,

"No! I've talked to her! She's innocent! Neyla's the villain!" Bentley once again started,

"Natasha-" The determined little panther cut in before another word was uttered,

"Before joining Interpol," she hurriedly explained, "she was at a British university where she tricked her classmates into doing her history homework and my cousin was part of it! After her ring was busted, Interpol gave her a position on the force because they thought she could think like a thief to help them catch thieves! Even Faye knew it and only said so after I told her about my cousin! If she can trick college students, you can only imagine what she can do in Interpol!" Silence promptly followed, filling the room and looming over everyone's heads. The information that the thieving accomplices had never known, never searched for, had just been bluntly elucidated by a child they barely knew. Bentley held his chin in his right hand, pondering about what Natasha had just said and the short history of Neyla with the Cooper Gang. After a moment, Murray stated with a bit of uncertainty,

"But…she's been helping us. …Maybe she's changed her ways." Natasha shook her head, brought her fists to her sides, and yelled, anger ringing clear in her voice,

"It doesn't matter! Once a traitor, always a traitor! You can't trust her!" Bentley raised his head and turned his attention to his laptop. An orange cat head was coming closer and closer to the yellow "S" marker on the map. He hesitated, then pressed a key and contacted Sly, saying,

"Faye is coming upon the safe house. What should we do?" It was barely a second before he answered,

"Keep her outside around the torch until I come back. We'll sort things out then." Natasha stomped her right foot, frustrated with the situation, and turned towards the door.

"I know she's good! If you knew the truth, you wouldn't be questioning her! Neyla should be the one you investigate!" Screaming out the last of her words, she immediately hurried out the door, ignoring the cries from Murray and Bentley to return as she ventured out into the storm.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye sprinted, her lungs burning and yearning for a chance to rest, but she went on through the harsh downfall and bemired puddles that threatened to trap her feet.

"_What now?"_ she thought, barely caring if any guards were on her tail, _"I can't show my face to them again, but what else can I do? I can't get back alone and I won't beg Neyla, the Contessa, Rajan…"_ the memory of Rexus at Rajan's ballroom flashed in her mind,_ "or any of the Klaww Gang to help me."_ She finally arrived at the bouncy toadstool below the safe house. Above, there was no sign of life, as if no one minded if she never returned. She sat down next to the fungus and crossed her arms, her cane held close, and buried her face in her arms, hot tears continuing to pour down her cheeks. She huddled there, holding her knees close to her forehead all the while wondering what she should do.

"Faye!" a soft, gentle voice echoed in her ears, though it seemed unbelievable that someone would give a care about her being that Sly would have undoubtedly contacted the gang at this point. The mushroom gave off a boing-like sound, directing Faye's tear-stained face up a bit in time to see a short, black form in the air from landing on the toadstool. Before she even touched the ground, Natasha was immediately jerked back, her arms bound to her sides by a white substance.

"Faye!" she screamed in horror, unable to halt herself from being propelled back into the dense jungle. Faye gasped and got to her feet as quickly as she could, swaying as she struggled to concentrate on standing. Her eyes bulged as she peered into the darkness behind Natasha. Two crimson orbs stared back at her through the night, making her heart skip a beat in fear.

"Natasha!" Faye shrieked, forcing her legs forward into a sprint though every fiber of her body was stubborn to budge in the slightest. In shuddered breaths, she managed to keep from falling to her knees in disbelief till she reached the bottom of the cliff, which stretched ten feet above her to the top, that led deep into the treacherous jungle. Natasha's voice rang out yet again for Faye, pressuring her heart to beat faster. Her eyes darted around and quickly caught sight of a tree. Without thinking, she leapt onto it and clawed her way up till the ledge was close enough to jump to. A scream echoed from deep within the looming darkness. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she scurried up another tree and bound from one to another, keeping to a straight-as-possible path. There was no doubt that the situation would worsen. All words were caught in her throat, as if a single syllable would bring more danger. Though she longed to scream, to cry out for somebody, anybody who would aid her in her endeavor to reach the young panther. For all she knew, she was going the wrong way. As if on cue, lightning lit up the path in front of her and she caught the sight of red clothing. Pushing herself forward with vigor and determination, Faye tried to catch up but quickly lost sight of her target as the light dispersed. Nevertheless, she pressed on, hoping to somehow get to Natasha. However, as swift as she lost them, she came upon a clearing even swifter and landed on the deluged ground below. Faye tilted her head up to the figures above; anxious-eyed Natasha gagged to prevent speech and the one in scarlet with piercing eyes standing beside her on a high branch.

"Contessa…" Faye growled, "Let her go!" The Contessa grinned with baneful delight, chuckled softly, and spoke leisurely,

"I don't think I will. I _was_ going to capture you, but…" it looked as if she turned her attention to Natasha for a moment, "she is just as good." Faye glared and yelled over the burdensome storm,

"She has nothing to do with you or the Klaww Gang! So why do you want her?" Again the Contessa spoke with as much ease as before,

"That, dear child, is where you're wrong. She has _everything_ to do with the Klaww Gang… You see, she is a runaway of Inspector Vermon Venery of Interpol. His wife, Rayna Venery, was investigating the Klaww Gang and was close, so very close, to catching them red-handed. Unfortunately, she was killed while investigating a lead, leaving young Natasha alone…with a rather large inheritance." Faye's eyes widened and she uttered,

"…That's it…" then she shouted, "Vermon killed Rayna for the money, didn't he?" A small whimper came from Natasha and shook her head slightly.

"How would _I_ know?" the Contessa inquired. Faye shouted again, forgetting her previous inquiry in a newfound rage,

"Because you're a Klaww Gang member along with Jean Bison and Arpeggio! Admit it!" Screeching out the last of her words in fury, Faye clutched her sidepack. Something in her brain clicked and she reached for her binocucom, the Contessa defensive until she saw the device. Faye held it as if she were about to throw it, but instead brought it down below her chin, but away from her face. She pressed and held the orange button, hiding the shrewdness of her idea, and shouted a bit quickly,

"You coward! You and the rest of the Klaww Gang only used me to get to the Cooper Gang!"

"Oh, yes. That," the Contessa retorted calmly, "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about."

_'Ten seconds…'_

"Don't lie to me!" Faye hollered, "I know about the Dimension Disrupter and your plan to erase my memories!"

_'Fourteen seconds…_' The widow smirked,

"Well, it seems I have underestimated you. Yes…the Klaww Gang brought you here because they knew about your knowledge of the Cooper Gang. It's a shame. With your help, Interpol could have put them behind bars."

_'Time's out…'_

"I would never betray them," the teen yelled defiantly "not even on my life!" It was then, too late, she knew; she had set the stakes too high.

"Well then, you wouldn't mind showing me that loyalty, now, would you? …Rexus dear?" Faye slightly gasped and gulped.

"Yes, Madame Contessa?" asked the familiar male voice. Out from the darkness of the foliage in front of her came Rexus, his eyes dulled and listless. He had donned clothing similar to army fatigues, perfect for the dark and leafy environment around them, complete with tawny boots.

"You remember Rexus, don't you Faye?" In disbelief, Faye quickly spoke,

"How did you know my name?"

"You had…interesting theories," the Contessa stated, ignoring her question, "However, you were a little…off. Take care of her…Oh, and if she wants to trade her life for the Cooper Gang, let her." The canine answered the black widow's order,

"Yes, Madame Contessa." With that, the golden retriever brandished a dagger from his pocket and lunged at Faye. She forced herself to move back; putting away her binocucom, but the mud had enveloped her feet. Immobilized where she stood, Faye faced death in the face and swung her cane diagonally at Rexus. He moved to the side and kept coming, forcing Faye to hold up her cane horizontally in defense. In a slick movement, he went under it, moving the weapon towards her heart.

Terror-stricken, adrenaline rushed through the teenager's veins and without much thought, she nearly instantly let go of the cane with her left hand and grabbed his wrist with the blade and moved it above them. She gritted her teeth as she stared Rexus in the face. Death was so close; she could feel the chill of its hand move down her spine. Her life on the line, she struggled to keep Rexus from plunging the knife into her. In another flash of lightning, she stole a glance upwards and suddenly felt her body involuntarily shake in overall concern.

The Contessa and Natasha were gone.

She turned her attention back to the traitor, the need to rush coursing through her. But… she blinked a few times staring into Rexus' eyes. His orbs were faded and empty as if his soul had been devastated and all that was left was a shell; a puppet.

"Oof!" Faye bent over in pain, Rexus's hand a fist in her stomach. The wind knocked out of her, Rexus placed the dagger, for a moment, in his teeth as he heaved her out of the mud, both hands around Faye's abdomen. He held her over his head and threw her with zest against nearby timber. Faye could not take a breath as her back slammed first into it. She sank to the ground, attempting to catch her breath. She caught it, but as soon as she had her gasp of fresh air, it was cut off.

Rexus gripped Faye's throat with his right paw, lifting her up to his eye level. Hearing her heart beat in her ears, she sent her cane towards Rexus' head. He caught it in his spare hand, wrenched it from her grip, and dropped it at her feet. She struggled to breathe, though no matter how much she kicked, punched, and thrashed about, he would not release her. Finally, she drew her claws and swiped at Rexus' face. He yelped in pain, releasing Faye and holding his face.

"_Think like a cat. Think like a cat. Think like a cat,"_ Faye thought as her mind raced for her next action. She picked up her cane, put it in her mouth - even though it had been in mud - and, hesitating, turned and leapt onto the tree her back had been against and climbed as quickly as she could. Scurrying to the top, Faye found her landing on a sturdy branch and peered down from her place to her adversary, standing up and gazing upwards to her. From his pocket he withdrew a small knife. Faye spit out her cane into her hand and slowly inched across the limb as Rexus moved his hand with the weapon back. He flung it forward and the knife flew past Faye, barely missing her, and into another tree behind her with a small _thud_. A few cut hairs came down and stuck to her arm from the side the knife missed her. Startled, Faye gasped for a moment before dashing to another branch and then another in a counterclockwise fashion around Rexus. As she did, he continued to reveal and toss knives at her, only pausing to try and throw one ahead of her.

"Rexus, come on!" Faye shouted as she attempted to dodge the incoming blades, "I know you're being controlled! You have to snap out of it!"

As she continued to evade the knives, Faye began to feel a pattern in Rexus' attacks. She thought to herself as she kept an eye on the canine,

"_One, two, three…Dodge the fourth ahead. It's just like the game. Stay away until you see a weak spot, exploit it, back off, repeat."_ Faye yelled at Rexus all the while taking care not to get skewered by the multiple blades,

"I know the Contessa hypnotized you with help from the – whoa!" a knife whizzed by, pausing her for a second, "– spice plants! I know she has the Clockwerk eyes and is – ugh" yet another blade came close, too close, "– using them to control you!" Rexus withdrew three knifes from one pocket and a walkie-talkie from another. He pressed the button on the side and spoke,

"Madame Contessa, she knows about the eyes. Should I apprehend her?" The Contessa's voice came through and Faye halted her pace, watching the knives as she heard,

"No, the less people know, the better. When you are finished, return to me and we will take care of…our little problem…" At "care," Faye leapt down at Rexus with her cane over her head, yelling in an involuntarily shrill voice,

"No!" The canine cast the knives at Faye as she came close, one landing in her left forearm with the cursed symbol, one clipping her right ear, and one hitting the cane itself. Faye briefly screeched in pain as she brought her staff down on his cranium. Her arm throbbing, Rexus let go of the pocket radio, stumbled back, and clutched his head where she had hit. The fleeting moment of peace in the fight, like the eye of the storm, gave Faye the chance to collect her thoughts and take out the knife from her arm. She winced and cried out as she quickly pulled out the blade, crimson running down it and her appendage, and dropped it on the ground. She thought,

"_Ugh…Okay, Murray was controlled by machines…which had certain frequencies. Singing has different frequencies! No, that would never work"_

In the blink and a half of an eye, Faye had a risky answer to the main problem in front of her, but was uncertain of her solution. Cautiously watching him, and wishing she had a dog whistle, Faye stood her ground as Rexus attempted to regain his posture.

"Rexus! Snap out of it, or I'll…" The little light bulb went off in her head. She looked down at the walkie-talkie and ambled close to it. A small buzzing was coming from it, yet it had been turned off.

"_Duh. Radio frequency."_ With a swift movement of the cane, Faye sent the bottom of it into the speaker.

It did not break.

"_Try again,"_ Yami said, urging the obvious. Faye slammed the staff onto the radio again. Nothing. She thrust it again, finally cracking it. Rexus let out a low growl, getting to his feet. Ignoring the fear building inside of her (or at least trying), Faye drove the end of the cane into the radio as hard as she could. Rexus was on his feet, charging at her swiftly. Anxiety pumping in every cell of her being, Faye brought her weapon down once more, plunging it into the core of the walkie-talkie. Rexus snarled, just a foot away. Faye pushed down, breaking through the motherboard of the device. Her muscles locked (her left arm not so much), her hands gripped like super glue to the staff, and her eyes shut tight.

A moment passed, but the blow never came; only the faint rustling of bushes even bothered to provoke a flinch out of her. Faye opened an eye to a beige fist less than an inch from her face. As it came down and Rexus moaned, she blinked and watched him, both eyes unclosed. He rubbed his scalp with his other hand and shook his head.

"Uhh… Where…am I…?" he asked, looking bright-eyed at everything around him and wincing as he reached one hand to the injury on his cheek.

"An Indian jungle," came a cool, familiar voice. Both him and Faye turned their attention to the tall figure of a raccoon standing several feet from the shrubbery, vines, and trees that surrounded them. "And that would happen to be my friend you tried killing."

"S, Sly?" both canine and imposter feline said in unison. They peered at each other, but only Rexus spoke,

"Destiny? What the…"

"Take it easy," said Faye. She turned her attention to Sly as Rexus got his bearings. She asked, "How long have you been there?" Sly crossed his arms,

"Just about when the Contessa was saying how it was a shame that you didn't help Interpol catch us." He smirked with that Cooper charm. Faye looked behind him and saw no one else. She inquired,

"What about Murray and Bentley?" she gasped in realization, "Natasha! She's-"

"-been kidnapped," Sly finished, "I know. The gang went after her while you two fought." Rexus' ears perked up.

"Fought?" He looked at Faye. "I'm sorry. The Contessa got a hold of me and-"

"Less talk, more run," said Faye. She took out her binocucom and promptly found the direction see had been going before. She darted forward, Sly and Rexus behind her.

"Wait up!" the canine shouted, sprinting to catch up with her. He caught up to her strides and asked, "Do you even have a plan?" Faye slowed down, Sly right next to her.

"…No," she said reluctantly. Rexus arched his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his hands in aggravation.

"Well think of one!" he said in irritation, "We just can't go barging in like a couple of thugs!" Faye's mind raced for a battle plan of some kind, bringing together everything she knew of. After a tense moment - lasting about ten or so seconds - an idea came to her in an epiphany, one thought coming after another. When it was there, framed in front of her eyes when her lids were closed for brief instances, and even when they were not, she said,

"…I've got it."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The Contessa sighed from her place on a branch easily seen from the ground. Natasha squirmed where she was beside her, attempting to break free even though the widow had a firm grip on her.

"You should be thankful," the Contessa began, "you did not die so carelessly out here...like getting trampled by an elephant or falling into the rivers full of piranha." She looked at the panther, "Right now Rexus should be finishing up with your companion Faye. He'll chop up her body, throw it into the river, and then come back to deal with you. However, unlike her _you _have a purpose in which you shall succeed in." The Contessa grinned, moving a long, slender finger under Natasha's chin, "You will have the honor of knowing your death was not in vane."

"Not with _'The Murray'_ here to defend the weak and defenseless!" Murray came bounding out of the trees, Bentley by his side, putting away his laptop into his backpack.

"Natasha!" Bentley called frantically, though trying (and failing) to sound calm, "Don't worry, you're going to be okay!" His stressed voice was focused more on assuring himself more than the poor panther in the spider's clutches. The Contessa's eyes danced in amusement at the self-proclaimed hero and the short, physically weak encourager.

"Well, I'm impressed you made it this far," she said impishly, "but you really should have assisted Faye. Or did you leave her knowing her dark secret?" Murray nearly rushed forward, but Bentley put a hand in front of him. Confidently, Bentley spoke,

"Don't _even_ try to deceive us. That mark on Faye's forearm was acquired _after_ she had attended Rajan's ball. There's no way she could have hidden it wearing a near _sleeveless_ dress."

"So?" said the Contessa indifferently, "Klaww Gang members have been known to hide their underground status, with or…without their signature mark." Murray flexed his muscles and let out a guttural growl, commanding,

"Unhand the kid and _'The Murray'_ _might_ go easy on your big butt you ugly…spider…lady!" Disgusted, the Contessa scoffed,

"Ugh. Such ignorance from a bumbling imbecile. …I am a black widow, in more than one sense, and Miss Venery here has a duty to uphold, so I will _not_ be releasing her."

"And what purpose could you possibly have for killing her?" inquired the turtle, "I mean, she's just a kid. She hasn't even done anything _worth_ killing over for." The Contessa grinned fiendishly,

"But that is where you are wrong. She is in violation of contract."

"And just what contract is that?" demanded Bentley, balling his hands into fists.

"The one you have no business in," she replied, "…unless you have a death wish."

"Bring it on!" Murray roared, cracking his knuckles as Bentley loaded his crossbow. The black widow shot a web to a branch high above them and attached the latter end to Natasha's sticky bindings. She attempted to keep her balance where she stood as the Contessa faced the duo. Murray picked up Bentley, who tucked into his shell, and threw him like a discus up towards their opponent. Bentley popped out of his shell at the top of his ascent and quickly aimed his crossbow. He fired a dart at the Contessa's hide as she spun another string of webbing to go evade. The bolt instead burrowed into one of her many legs, soon putting her into a temporary state of sleep. Bentley landed on the ground as he and Murray could only look up helplessly at Natasha. She whimpered, not knowing if the web could support her weight if she fell from her spot.

The Contessa awoke, hanging upside down from her own web where she had aimed before Bentley shot at her. A muffled scream escaped from Natasha as she lost her footing and plummeted from her place. The web snapped back up, just out of Murray's reach, and another white string shot out and wrapped around the frightened panther. The Contessa jerked her back to her side on the branch, returning the leer from those on the soggy ground. Her gaze connected with Murray's and, slowly, his muscles relaxed and he turned to his companion.

His eyes were dull and listless as he bellowed and threw a punch at Bentley. He tucked back into his shell and was sent flying into a tree, his protective armor receiving a small crack where it had impacted. Bentley popped back out, slightly dazed and peered up at his partner. Murray stepped closer to him, growling from deep with his throat. Bentley aimed his crossbow at him, saying,

"S-stay back! Come on, Murray! …Snap out of it!" But the hippo drew even closer, halting just before reaching for his buddy's neck. Bentley flinched and froze where he was. His orbs colorful once more, Murray shook his head in confusion.

"Wha…what happened…?" he asked, looking around and catching the Contessa's eye. Freaked, Bentley said,

"No! Don't look at her!" Murray looked at him as the Contessa lurched up and failed in drawing him into her mesmerizing gaze. Bentley pointed his weapon at the hypnotherapist as she settled down, saying strongly with a hint of uneasiness,

"I don't know what contract you're talking about, but you better start giving us some answers!" The Contessa rolled her eyes and spoke,

"Very well. You see, Inspector Venery happens to know some…very prominent people who would avoid nightclubs and would not even bother going to a ball hosted by someone they do not know. His connections are truly vital, and he could not use them if he had a hindrance in the way." Murray growled and clinched his fists as Bentley's eyes bulged. The latter exclaimed with fury,

"You…you fiend! Murdering a poor kid just to spread the effects of your spice? You're insane!"

"That does it!" roared Murray, finally turning to face the psychotic spider, "Lady or not, you're going down!"

"I second that notion," came an angered, yet smooth voice. The thievius raccoonus himself stepped out from the shadows and briefly bared his teeth at the Contessa. "I don't appreciate my teammates being killed." Natasha's eyes brightened as if her knight in shining armor had appeared. The wicked arachnid held an elbow in one hand while the other cradled her chin, releasing Natasha for the moment.

"Such loyalty…" she said, "It is a shame that you did not show the same to your other teammate. She gave her own life just so you three could remain free." Sly shook his head and brought his fists down to his sides,

"No, Faye is stronger than that. It'll take more than your dirty tricks to do her in!" The Contessa merely raised an eyebrow, unamused at the thieves' thoughts and wishes. With twisted delight in her eyes, she remarked,

"Oh, really? I wonder what my devoted slave has done to her by now?" Another voice reached the ears of the five, little enthusiasm within it,

"The deed has been accomplished, Madame Contessa." A golden retriever made his way into the small clearing, four scratches across his left cheek. As he came closer, Sly, Murray, Bentley gasped, rage slowly exposing itself in the expressions and veins of the two latter and shock in the foremost. Natasha's gasp was vague behind her makeshift gag and tears welled in her eyes, the urge to scream swelling inside her throat. A devilish grin danced upon the Contessa's face as she eyed the slumped form below her. In Rexus's right hand was an orange staff with a yellow hook and an unmistakable mask of a feline, stained with a few droplets of crimson, grasped along with it. The witch laughed, Natasha began hyperventilating, Bentley as well, and Murray bared all of his teeth, becoming more and more enraged as he eyed the canine. Sly only peered at the cane, closing his eyes for a moment and opening them in slits as he turned to the Contessa.

"Magnificent, Rexus!" she praised, "Only one more mistake to do away with." Sly smirked and stood up straight, making her curious of the thief's plans.

"You just lost, Contessa." As a puzzled look came upon her, the branch she was on creaked. She snapped her head to her side and gasped as a sliver of orange caught the edge of her eye. Natasha was no longer by her side. She turned behind her to an orange striped cat leaping from one bough to another with the young Miss Venery in her arms. Rexus grinned and tilted his head back, laughing and pointing above them with a spare paw. Murray did not look away, though Bentley did along with Sly and the Contessa to a branch on their left. Natasha positioned herself next to her rescuer, the teen who stood proud without mask or cane.

"Murray," said Bentley, pointing at her, "Look!" _The Murray_ peered up and dropped his jaw, just as the Contessa did.

"You should have known not to mess with me," said Faye. She looked down at the thieves and new ally, the latter smirking with Sly while the other two mixed expressions of awe and joviality. "Sorry about tricking you guys. It was the only way to get you to distract the Contessa long enough for me to get Natasha." Faye ripped the webbing off said panther as she continued, "No offense, but you wouldn't have been able to act well enough to make the emotions you felt seem real to the Witch Lady over there." She nodded her head to the Contessa who exposed her fangs and glared madly. Bentley looked up to Sly and said,

"So _that's_ what you meant when you communicated 'not is all as it seems'." Murray scratched the back of his head,

"What? …You mean…this was all part of a plan?" Rexus looked at Faye with a feeling of reminiscence, but nevertheless exclaimed,

"Best one _I've_ ever heard!" he extended a finger at the black widow, "And I am _not_ _anybody's slave_!" The Contessa scoffed and said,

"We'll meet again, Sly Cooper…" she stole a glance at Faye and Natasha, "And you too, Faye…" She shot a web out of sight and jumped off her place, swinging and ducking out of view. Natasha wrapped her arms around Faye, smiled, and said gleefully,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" Faye smiled gently and chuckled lightly,

"Anytime, Natasha." With that, she lifted Natasha into her arms, knees over one and back on the other, as the little panther hung onto her neck. Faye hopped off the bough, her stomach lurching forward from the drop, and landed on the ground with an 'oof,' surprisingly not breaking or injuring anything. She let Natasha down onto the ground, watching as she immediately hugged Sly and the others one by one. Each hugged her back and spoke of how much they had worried about her. Nostalgia took over, bringing back a faraway memory. The faces were obscured to her, but their worried voices reached her, calling out her name in desperation, becoming clearer and clearer by the second. Rexus sauntered over to her and patted her on the right shoulder

"Good going," he said as Natasha held onto Murray, bawling on and on about how scared she was, even if most of it was intelligible, and how glad she was to be back. Faye shook her head slightly, speaking,

"Heh…It reminds me of when I was little. I had strayed too far away from the house when it was foggy out and my parents came after me. It was so cold and I had never been more scared in my life. But they kept calling out my name, and they eventually found me." Rexus watched with her as the gang was near calming down Natasha.

"Was that the scariest thing that ever happened to you?" he asked Faye, handing back her cane and mask. She took her things, thought a moment, and answered,

"Nah. The scariest thing is…" she paused, "dancing with Rajan followed by the rest of the Klaww Gang." Rexus let a small chuckle escape as he looked over at Faye, replacing her mask as the staff stuck out of the muddy ground.

"You look like someone I used to know…" Sly cleared his throat and both peered up to the Cooper Gang and Natasha. The leader stepped forward and took a deep breath, addressing Faye,

"I…owe you an apology… No Klaww Gang member would have risked their life to save Natasha. They probably wouldn't have even spared his life." Sly nodded his head towards Rexus and continued, "I doubted you when I shouldn't have."

"I owe you my apologies as well," spoke Bentley, glancing at the ground then to Faye. "I questioned your camaraderie when Sly contacted us…" Murray put his fists on his hips and said in his 'heroic' third-person voice,

"_The Murray_ admits he was mistaken in even _thinking_ you would betray us!"

"I told you!" chimed in Natasha, stepping beside Faye and facing the gang, "Faye was innocent all along!" Bentley nodded and held a hand to his chin, stating,

"You were right. Then that means…" The brainiac's pause perked Sly's curiosity.

"What is it?" he asked, peering down at his ally. He responded,

"Natasha said that Faye was innocent and that Neyla was the one we should investigate," he brought down his hand and looked up at Sly, "She was right about Faye, so we should probably analyze the data on Neyla as well as taking precautions around her." Sly turned his gaze to the ground, his eyes reflecting the thoughts going through his mind. He barely opened his mouth to speak when Faye interjected,

"Neyla was the one who said I was a member of the Klaww Gang, remember?" The gang, Natasha, and Rexus caught her cold stare at the tigress's name, "If she knew information on the Klaww Gang, then she shouldn't have said that."

"Unless she was one of them!" Natasha blurted out.

"Whoa! Hold on! Time out!" Rexus said quickly before someone else cut in. "Can I get a say in this?" Faye clasped her fingers together and leaned a bit towards him, saying a bit sarcastically,

"Yes, because we all have something against that no good, traitorous witch who did _this to me_!" Her voice elevating with pure anger and hatred in the last of her words, Faye, teeth bared and eyes reflecting her voice, pointed to her left forearm and the mark of the Klaww Gang, raised in white from being burned on her pale skin. At that, she was surrounded by multiple, short-lived gasps. Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Rexus stood glassy-eyed and dumbfounded and Natasha covered her mouth with her hands. As reality set in, their expressions softened to the amounting facts and evidence and the teenager's experiences that she had been through. The expression in Faye's eyes did not waver as she brought her arms to her sides. She breathed deeply before bringing her eased gaze to the others on her left. She spoke sincerely without a need to rush, taking the time to peer into the orbs of each individual, "That's right. She did it. …And it's time I told you all the truth." Faye closed her eyes, took a deep breath, let it out, and opened them again. She leaned on the top of her cane, gripping it. "I – ugh!" A sudden, nearly crushing, force was inflicted upon her abdomen and spine like a vice. She was hauled back, screaming,

"Sly!" He, Murray, Bentley, and Natasha cried out,

"Faye!" Rexus stared up at Faye, muttering her real name, not her stage name, as he caught the fear etched on her face. Then, as if something in his brain clicked, he let out a small gasp, bellowing,

"Faye!" He dashed forward before the others and sprinted through the dense jungle, hyperventilating and trying to keep an eye on Faye as she rose to a figure floating in the sky.

A flash of lightning briefly blinded Faye as rain fell upon her, though she was not paying much attention to the latter, only the crushing around her middle. Suddenly she stopped though her body still had had the feeling of being rushed into the air. She shook her head and opened her still-adjusting eyes to a disturbing sight. An ugly baboon was staring her right in the face with an evil grin. He wore a drenched white lab coat and held a small remote in one hand. Attached to his back was nothing short of a heli-pack; a metallic gadget with a propeller on top.

"Ah… A _Homo sapien_…" he said sinisterly, "You will make an interesting guinea pig." Lightning flashed again and Faye's eyes became saucers, anxiety still in her veins. So much that she did not bother to notice that a retractable claw was holding her from the machine on the baboon's back. The primate took out a cloth from his front coat pocket and wrapped it around the Klaww Gang symbol on her left forearm, covering the injury she had received earlier. "We'll properly take care of that injury when we get back to the lab."

"Forget it!" she shouted, "I'm nobody's guinea pig, you freak!"

"Insolent fool," he said with a touch of fury, "…No matter. That golden retriever following us will be joining you."

"What do you want with him?" Faye yelled back at him. The baboon sneered,

"You both have similar energy signatures matching to only one being currently incapacitated. …The disassembled bird, Clockwerk." At this, complete shock took over her. She was unsure to be either horrified or surprised or at what to focus those emotions: the fact that she was about to be a guinea pig, the arrival of the mad professor, Clockwerk's energy being stored within her and Rexus, or that Rexus had a similar energy signature to her. Sharp whistling filled the void of silence. Both turned their attention towards the temple to a startling sight: six helicopters were coming their way, firing missiles at them. They halted the assault only a moment to switch to machine-guns. Faye screamed as her captor evaded the onslaught, zigzagging wildly to avoid death. The heli-pack let out an alarming explosion as black smoke came from it. The grip on Faye was released and she plummeted, shrieking as the wind rushed past her ears.

"_I'll take you from this nightmare,"_ echoed Yami. Faye's senses closed as if she was falling asleep. Nothing reached her; not the cold, not the sounds of gunfire.

It seemed to be but an instant before she awoke in warmth and comfort. Torches aligned the walls surrounding her, giving heat and light to the room. Faye blinked a few times and sat up, holding her head and somewhat conscious of the single bed she was upon.

"Ah," said a strong, masculine voice, "you're awake at last, Miss Faytin." A sudden chill went up her spine as she slowly turned to the source of the voice only to face a large, elegant tiger, the one and only Rajan.

* * *

Natasha: (exclaiming) What in the world is Faye doing in Rajan's office? Has the world gone mad?

Trinity: Always a possibility. (to audience) Thank you for reading this chapter. SmashQueen has left a post-chapter note for us. Ahem. (reads from paper) "Aside from the violence, was that a twist, or was that a twist? Ha! Got you all didn't I? (Insert wild laughter here)." … (silence)

Natasha: (Laughs maniacally)

Trinity: (clears throat) "So many questions have arisen. How did Faye find the strength to break through the walkie-talkie so quickly? Why did Dr. M suddenly appear out of the blue? Why do I torment you people with such questions? Heh. There's still more to be unveiled, though there's just a little trouble with Episodes 4, 5, 6, and 7. Though half, or part, of Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are done (like fifty percent on down). Episode 7's boss fight is figured out along with an event, but the rest is hazy. It could be because I haven't played the other episodes in years and I would need to play them to refresh my memory. So till then, the future is sort of unknown. See you all when I get back."

Natasha: Hope so. But last I checked, she was busy, so it's going to be a while before she gets the next chapter done. Also, it takes a while now since her television was busted when she moved, so she can't play the next level and get a handle on things…maybe she can in December. I dunno…

Rexus (voice from walkie-talkie in Natasha's pocket): Natasha? I don't think I'm alone anymore. I heard growling and the lights went off. …Natasha? … (background: Rah!) (screaming) Get me out of here!

Natasha: (into w-t) In a moment. (to audience) Well, until next time…

Trinity and Natasha: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief.


	19. The Fall of a 'Prestigious' Man

Trinity: Greetings once again loyal viewers and welcome back to the adventure of Sly as a Cooper.

SQ (from backstage): Hey, that's my line.

(Audience applauds and cheers)

SQ: (walks out on stage) Glad to be back. Sorry for the wait. (sweat drop) A lot happened and I finally got around to other fanfictions I've been meaning to upload...for years… (clears throat) There's something I've been wanting to bring up for some time though it's sort of irrelevant to the story at this point. In the first episode when Sly meets up with Neyla in a mission, I wasn't sure what I supposed to do. When I was chasing her, I caught up to her and whacked her with Sly's cane, but the mission was reset saying something like "Neyla is on your side. She would not want to be hit either." Yeah, I bet. I ended up chuckling a bit later when Neyla betrayed the Cooper Gang because I thought "I did the right thing! I should have been allowed to hit her more!" Etcetera, etcetera… As a note, this chapter is the final one of Episode 3…and the next is sort of a time filler chapter (mostly cause I've thought of Natasha having quality time with Faye). I had "fixed" my television (messed it up a bunch and actually took it apart to do so), but ended up getting a used one months later. Shortly after I had screwed up my TV, I recorded Episode 4…in one hour and fifty minutes (new record!). Oh how I loathe the Contessa… Ahem. I need to figure out a general plot for the Episode and I'll be able to type it up in the needed chapters, perhaps even faster than this one (read: less chapters). In any case, roll the nineteenth chapter!

Disclaimer: I own no copyrights to Sly Cooper or any related material. Though maybe someday I will…and Murray will have Sly's hat, sneaking around while humming his own theme song called "The Murray" …or something.

Note: The phrase "The Murray" will now be in italics without the "" (_The Murray_).

**Caution:** Do not hate the author for what Rajan says during this chapter.

_Chapter 19: The Fall of a 'Prestigious' Man_

Faye was, for a lack of a better word, utterly speechless. Rajan sat behind his smooth, brown stone desk, elbows on the surface and his fingers intertwined as his chin rested on them. The surrounding torches made the tiger seem a little more frightening than usual, although it was nice to be warm for once, not that Faye was dwindling on the comfort of it. Oddly enough, the water bug was not in the room. In fact, it seemed to be another room all together, as there was a portrait of Rajan on the wall behind him, a globe on a sidetable in the corner behind him, a safe in the adjacent nook, and a length of carpet extending from the front of the desk to a hole in the wall on the opposite side leading out into a hall. Of course there was also the single bed that Faye had awoken upon, tilted up a bit for more comfort, and a small table next to her with a variety of fruit such as grapes and apples. She barely noticed in her surprised state the item that the Cooper Gang had been searching for sitting beside Rajan's left side: half of the Clockwerk heart tied to a long piece of wood. Though in the brief moment Faye sat in shock, she only succeeded in observing Rajan and his cryptic eyes. The fearsome tiger must have recognized her surprise as he said,

"I'm sorry to have frightened you, Miss Faytin. I spotted that despicable primate taking off with you and I couldn't have that. I immediately sent out my men to retrieve you and had them bring you back here." Faye took a couple of deep breaths as she brought down her hands from the slight headache she had, thinking,

"_He still thinks of me as Faytin. Come on… I've got to be truthful…and careful so he won't rip me into so many shreds later."_ She lifted her right hand to her forehead and brought her bangs up, flattening them against her head. She looked down a moment and said, taking caution as to what she spoke,

"I-I'm sorry. I just was not expecting to see you so soon." She peered up at Rajan, still a bit nervous as she dropped her hand as he replied,

"As am I, which begs the question: what are you doing out here?"

_"Crud!_" Choosing her words carefully, Faye said gently,

"I came looking for you."

"How did you find me here?" Faced with another inquiry, Faye quietly and leisurely said, making sure not to cross any specifics,

"Well…after you left the party, I noticed one of the trees had a…rather large gash while I was leaving. A couple of nice people volunteered to be my guides," her head drooped, "but I became separated from them and I have no idea how they are fairing right now." Rajan lowered his hands, his teeth gleaming in the torches' light as he stated,

"I'm sorry to hear that…" he paused, "Did not Inspector Fox and Constable Neyla catch you at the gala?"

_"What is he, an interrogator?"_

"Oh, no," Faye rose her face, answering politely, "I managed to get away in the confusion. I did not expect the night's events to play out like that."

"Neither did I," said Rajan, finally giving a small break in the questioning. He momentarily glimpsed at the cloth wrapped around Faye's left forearm and gave one little inquiry, "You are injured?" Faye's eyes bulged a bit.

_"Dang it! If he finds out about the Klaww symbol, I'm dead__!"_ She peered over at her hidden scar and slightly shrugged, saying as she looked back at Rajan,

"I-It's just a scratch. I'll be fine."

_"Dang it, I stuttered!" _Rajan spoke with solemnity,

"Even a scratch can be deadly out here." He clapped twice, "Guards!" A rhino and goat appeared at the opposite end of the room, directly in the path of the tiger. "Get my guest a first-aid kit, now!" He roared out the last of his demand, making the guards and Faye tremble as they bolted out of sight. He turned back to Faye. "I'm sorry if I frightened you, my dear." Faye's breath came out in small shudders as she put a somewhat clenched right hand to herself below her neck. Rajan seemed to ease in his seat, smiling and avoiding showing his teeth. It was if he was trying _not_ to be intimidating.

"Miss Faytin…" he began, "Please, make yourself comfortable. Coming all the way out here must have been tiring." Faye's breathing nearly returned to normal as she nodded.

"I would rather not go through that…horrid jungle ever again."

"You don't have to." The rhino and goat guard came back along with several monkeys, the second carrying a white first-aid kit and the first holding a large, fine oaken case with red velvet lining. Rajan stood from his chair, which had violet velvet on its back and seat, and extended his hands out to the case.

"Ah…here it is," he said. He turned to Faye. "I was awaiting the day we would meet again, no matter the odds." He lifted the lid on the chest, attached by hinges, and took pride at its contents. "Come look, Miss Faytin." Faye, not wanting to offend her powerful host, brought her hands to her sides and lifted herself from the bed. She peered into the case and beheld what seemed to be a folded up garb of turquoise with gems of many colors around the neck as it set in the same color velvet embroidering the case. Alongside it was a pair of sapphire shoes with ends that curved up and back over the footwear. With quiet 'ooks' and 'acks,' the primates hopped on top of one another until they were slightly above the rhino. The top one took the clothing and allowed gravity to unfurl it as he held it up. Faye barely gasped at the beauty of the gown presented. It had long sleeves, wider at the ends than at the shoulders, and the rest came down a bit over a foot above the floor.

"Miss Faytin," said Rajan, the girl in question glancing towards him, "Please, allow my guards to treat your wound. Afterwards, I would like it if you were to change into this." He gestured to the garment before her eyes.

"_Faye!"_ echoed Yami, _"Make an excuse; any excuse!"_ Faye brought a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes for but a moment, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She stated gingerly,

"Rajan…I mean no offense whatsoever, but," it seemed that a frown was slowly forming on his face, "I would rather dress the wound myself if you did not mind. …Besides, I need to take care of…" Faye closed the gap between her and his ear, whispering, "some private matters." Rajan cleared his throat as Faye back up a bit,

"Oh… Right, right." He breathed in and pointed out the door, "The bathroom is down the hall, third door to the left." Unsure of native customs, Faye bowed and spoke softly,

"Thank you." She stood up and turned to the door, the guards in tow. It was not until she left that Rajan breathed out heavily and returned to his chair, slumping in it. He opened and reached into the top right drawer of his desk, withdrawing a picture of he and Faye dancing at his ball.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye shut the bathroom door behind her once the guards had left the first-aid kit and gown on a table just feet from the door. Turning back to the room, she realized just how luxurious it was – even for a bathroom. A huge marble spa about the size of a queen bed sat in the center of the room, dipping only slightly into the ground, and a room extended into the back complete with everything a restroom required to accommodate any needs. The torches were surrounded by bowls of some sort of fancy material that failed to melt from their heat. Lastly, the stone walls were smoothed out; the various layers of rocks giving an earthy feel to the room. Faye sighed, untying the cloth on her forearm and gazing upon the deep, inflicted wound which ached whenever she moved her arm. She flipped the latches on the front of the first-aid kit and lifted the lid, peering at the various items inside including gauze, tape, ointment, and insect repellant. As Faye cleaned off her wound in the nearby sink and applied healing salve, Yami said to her,

"_You have to contact the Cooper Gang!"_ Faye rolled her eyes.

"_How? I probably lost the-"_ She put a hand to her right ear and felt the earcom was still there. Looking down, she finally comprehended that her thigh pack was still there too. The only thing missing was her cane, but it would doubtlessly do her no good so deep within the villains' lair. Faye turned the dial to its primary station, the safe house, and walked to the far end of the restroom. She waited a moment to think and murmured,

"This is Siren calling the Nest. Repeat, this is Siren calling the Nest. I'm in the heart of the temple with the Lord of the Hills and the objective…half of it anyway. I don't know how long I can stay on his good side… Call back, Nest." Almost immediately, there was a quiet, nasal response,

"F-…Siren! Thank goodness. What's your status?" A small smile of relief came over her face as she answered,

"I'm still injured from fighting Rexus, and Rajan is…treating me rather nicely. But he's only doing that, because he thinks of me as "Miss Faytin" from his ball."

"Hmm…" Bentley pondered, "We'll try to get you out of there as soon as possible. Just hang on and stay tough."

"Oh, wait! Wait!" Faye interrupted, hoping he and the others would still be listening, "You have to draw him out. Um…" She snapped her fingers, not too loudly of course, and remembered, saying as clearly and swiftly as possible, "Blow the dam! Rip-off the ruby and blow the dam. After that, use the Cherry Bomb 500 from the ruby tradeoff for Operation: Wet Tiger. Bentley, there's a chopper you can use from blowing the dam to give aerial support. Murray, you have to get to the lever near Rajan's office and lift it up. Guards will be coming, so take care of them when you can. Keep your strength up. As Murray begins to lift the lever, bombs will rain down upon him. Bentley, that's where you come in. Take them out and let Murray finish up. Once done, Sly will have to sneak over to the elephant's mouth with the Cherry Bomb 500, set it off, and get to higher ground quick 'cause the entire temple's going to flood."

"What-"

"Hang on…" said Faye, breaking off Bentley's question, "After that, Rajan will come out with the Clockwerk heart," a second's delay – preventing her from giving out dialogue – gave her enough time to recall the events in order, "Wooden stakes will come up from the ground and Neyla will show up. She'll let Sly get close enough to Rajan and his crazy thunderbolts and leave him to be struck by lightning!"

Knocking made Faye gasp and turn to the door. An unfamiliar voice came from the other side,

"Rajan wants to know if you'll be joining him on the balcony."

_"Balcony? What balcony? Did I miss something?"_

"Oh. Um…" Yami suddenly echoed,

"_Say yes, but to give you a few minutes to freshen up."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_Just say it!"_

"Yes, but could you give me a few minutes to freshen up?" The guard spoke,

"Sure. I'll go tell him." Faye let out a sigh of ease then whispered back into her earcom quickly,

"I don't have long. After Sly is knocked out, Rajan will face Murray. Jump onto the lily pads to avoid his electrical discharge and punch him into the barriers around you. After Rajan is knocked out, Neyla and the Contessa will come out to arrest him, Murray, and Sly. Ugh," she groaned, adding, "and Carmelita because Sly danced with her at the ball. I stole," the two words, foreign as they were, barely stopped her from propelling the stream of words from her mouth, "Neyla's camera at the ball, but she might have had another one stashed away somewhere. Bentley gets away – Natasha stay with him in the chopper during the operation – and the rest are hauled off. If I get out of here, I'll tell you guys why I know this and try to help you get ahead of the Klaww Gang's scheme. This is Siren, over and out." With that, Faye turned off the earcom and walked back to the first-aid kit. She wrapped some bandages around her wound – enough to hide the dreaded symbol – and peered at the dress.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rajan gazed out at his decrepit temple, arms crossed as he sighed. From his place on the balcony, the entirety of the ruins was in sight from the waterfalls to the great skull of a gigantic beast on the far side. A rhino guard ambled up behind the egotistic tiger and said,

"Miss Faytin is here, Rajan." He put his paws together and turned, beaming with those pearly teeth. Faye walked forward from the hall behind her, fingers intertwined in front of her as she stepped lightly in sapphire shoes. The garment she had received was as soft as silk and fit her perfectly, which would raise the question: How did Rajan know the correct measurements needed? The only possible way for him to do so with a lack of technology was by the picture he had been – and was at the moment – carrying. Said spice producer opened his arms at the sight of the otherworldly guest.

"Ah! Miss Faytin…you look lovely this evening…" Faye bowed.

_"Don't screw up! Don't screw up! If I do, I'm dead!"_

"Thank you, Rajan." She straightened herself up, seeing Rajan extend his hand and curve his fingers towards him. Faye drew towards him, strolling forth as Yami voiced to her,

_"Stay calm. Ask him to tell more about himself, like where he grew up or how he grew up… No, no. Scratch the second one…"_ Faye stood beside Rajan as the storm continued, though they were sheltered by a canvas covering above the balcony they were standing on.

"So…" began Rajan, "How do you like that dress? I had it custom made."

_"Mr. Pompous butt…" _Faye answered in a polite tone,

"It is fine...and very comfortable. What is it made of?" Anything to give the gang more time. Rajan grinned in confidence,

"It is made of the finest silk I could find. I am pleased to say that only royalty could afford such a luxury." Faye took a deep breath and said rather convincingly in an astounded manner,

"Wow…" she brought the fingers of her right hand to her lips and went on, "It must have been expensive…"

"Not when you are as rich as I am." A hint of slyness danced upon Rajan's words, cuing Faye to say,

"Please, you must tell me where you grew up to gain such wealth. It must be quite a story."

_"Please ramble on…_" Rajan smirked broadly and spoke,

"I grew up in Calcutta…as a wealthy boy in a high-class family. Of course, that meant I had inherited everything my family left me…"

"_Blah, blah, blah…_" Faye continued to stare up at Rajan, never wavering her gaze as he went on and on about his 'fantastic' family and how he was 'rich to begin with.'

_"Different reality, same Rajan. Stroke his ego and he purrs like a ferocious kitten."_ Faye kept in a chuckle at Yami's comment and thought back,

_"I just wonder how the gang is doing. I got through to Bentley, but there's no telling what happened to Natasha, Sly, Murray, or Rexus."_ After a moment, Yami said,

_"Rexus… You know, I think he was in the alternate reality as well. I think he was part of the resistance against the Klaww Gang. …Yes… I remember that he constantly wore army fatigues because he was always out in the field in the pictures I saw… I met him once, but we were on different sides then…"_

_"Which means he really didn't betray me…"_ thought Faye,_ "Not on purpose anyway. But…I just wonder… Why does he have the same energy signal as me?"_

_"I will try to figure it out. When I have an idea, I will contact you."_

_"Thanks."_ Their conversation ended just as Rajan said,

"…and that is when I met you." Faye, with the ever increasing shrewd mind that she had, replied,

"That was quite an interesting story. It is a shame that the ball ended so abruptly, though." I really could have gotten Neyla then, or at least have tried to save Rexus…

"Yes…" Rajan merely muttered, peering out at the vast view of the temple. After an awkward three second silence, he spoke again, "Miss Faytin," he turned to her, "will you stay here, by my side…" He reached into his pocket, pulled out a fairly large, cerulean box, and knelt down on one knee, continuing, "…as my fiancée?" He opened the case in his claws and revealed a rather large diamond on a comparatively tiny, gold ring.

The reaction was instantaneous; Faye immediately pressed her hands against herself and gasped as she took a few steps back. Her throat constricted and an icy chill slithered down her spine. She mentally screamed ceaselessly at the very notion. After a moment, she noticed her mouth was open and quickly shifted her hands to cover it. Her heart pounded. Her mind raced. Her stomach lurched. Every fiber was on edge. Every thought vanished except for that solitary question. She began to hyperventilate quietly. If she did not snap out of her shock soon, chances were that that she would either faint or have a heart attack.

**Boom! Ka-crack!** Rajan and Faye, who had finally restrained herself from shrieking in her mind, snapped their heads and attention to the dam above them, the latter barely breathing from shock. A missile from a helicopter had hit the stone structure and produced a fracture partway down it from the top. Rajan growled deeply and pocketed the ring, calling out,

"Men! Escort Miss Faytin into the back of the temple!" He turned to her and continued, "Your safety is top priority, Miss Faytin. I will meet with you later." With that, Rajan rushed into the temple, dodging two rhinos and a goat who were marching towards Faye. All the while, the dam was assaulted by a lone helicopter whose pilot knew well of where to shoot, though could not stop a piece of the structure from crashing on the opposite side of the balcony, landing just inches from the bewildered teen. Her hair instinctively stood on end, but she could care less as the guards escorted her away. Trauma-induced adrenaline coursing through her veins, Faye was lead in shock down the hall, never hearing a word any of the guards uttered. Neither did she hear Rajan saying over the intercom,

"All forces, defend the temple now! A barrel of spice to the gunship who brings down that person." The word 'Bentley' wove through Faye's mind, coming within reach then disappearing into the depths of her subconscious. When she had finally regained her composure, the explosions from outside had ceased and she finally took in her surroundings. Somehow in the ancient temple, Rajan had a flight pad for helicopters constructed in what seemed to be a recently hollowed out cavern with a circular iron roof that opened as the two halves retracted into the earth and stone. There were a few helicopters left, each armed with a gun of some kind. The guards who ushered her there were in high alert at the only exit, keeping watch over anyone or anything that dared to cross them.

"Alert!" boomed Rajan once again over the intercom, "Perimeter is under assault. Put down this attack!"

_"What?"_ thought Faye, _"Wasn't that something from Operation: Wet Tiger or something? But how? …Unless…they ripped off the ruby early and began the operation right after blowing the dam! Now **that's** breaking the rules!"_ She stole a peak at the guards. They were still peering down the hall. _"Let's see… I have to time this right. Murray lifts the lever, Bentley destroys the bombs, Sly comes in with the barrel, and then I have to show up… That's about…seven minutes minimum to get out there."_

"Miss Faytin!" called a masculine voice. She turned to see a goat in one of the helicopters in the driver's seat. "I have orders from Rajan to get you out of here!"

_"Messed up, but I'll take it."_ Faye nodded and silently entered the helicopter through its open door as the goat pushed buttons and moved pedals to engage it. The blades on top whirred into motion, lifting the machine into the air. The steel roof parted, allowing the helicopter to rise into the night sky. Just when she was able to see solid ground a few feet below the chopper, Faye leapt from it through the still-open door, the goat shouting at her questions and commands to come back though she hardly heard him. Faye tumbled to the ground and got to her feet, immediately sprinting ahead after seeing what was around her. Trees still surrounded her and a wide river was to her right, rushing ahead. Faye took no time to halt for snakes, small spiders (which she did not notice how close she came to them), or even to contact the others on her earcom. There were explosions in the distance as she grew closer to the action.

_"The bombs! Just how quick is this all going?_ Faye breathed hard as she began to jog and quick-walk alternatively. _"Did they plan to successively pull off the operation's parts? But…why?"_

_"For you, I would imagine,"_ said Yami, voicing her opinion. _"They probably wanted to lure out Rajan quickly in order to save you."_ Then it came into sight. The massive skull was in view as lightning flashed through the heavy rainfall. Faye stopped at the edge next to the dam and caught her breath, thankful that she was not too faraway, and peered below her. She smiled as she spotted a balcony at a satisfactory reach, took several steps back, and dashed to the ledge. She extended her arms forward like a feline, shredded the damp saffron canvas with her claws, and landed safely on the balcony with a small grunt. The bombs ceased as she pushed herself and made her way back through the crowded halls, passing and dodging confused guards of all kinds scrambling here and there frantically. In a minute she had found the door she wanted and burst the door open to reveal a familiar vacant bathroom. Faye took up the first-aid kit and the clothing that she had left earlier and hurried back into the corridor. Figuring that it would lead out to the main area, Faye hastened back down the hall…and it finally fell upon her as her footsteps fell heavy onto the stone floor.

The reality of it all. This was not her world; there were no humans, there was no television, there were no cheat codes, and there was no controller. If she got into trouble, she could not reset a game system. If a boss seemed impossible to beat, she could not keep retrying to find a weakness or effective strategy. She could not write down advice and turn them into a boss tactic to be used again and again. Whatever happened, happened. Each action had a consequence. Each cause had an effect. Each step was another stride into the world of crime. A world in which honor still survived among thieves, but at the same time was as dark as an alley with deceit, foes, and death in every nook and cranny.

_"Whatever happens here…_" She hung a left. _"This will not be my final stand!"_

"Black Clouds and Thunder Bolts!" roared Rajan from outside.

_"Just how fast are they going out there?"_

"My spice temple… Ruined!" She went straight for some meters before turning right into a zigzagging corridor. "I will no longer hide while you villains destroy my hard won empire." She grinned seeing the giant double doors as the egomaniac ranted on, "This place is mine…here I am King! Come, face me Cooper. With Clockwerk's black heart I will show you true power. You are nothing. Come, face the mighty Rajan, lord of these hills."

_"Showtime…"_ Faye forcefully pushed open the doors, each one slamming into a gray stone wall, to the flooded temple, which was an obvious result from the plan that she had told the gang to do. It seemed as though they trusted her enough to follow it through quickly even with her adjustments for Natasha. She stretched out her arms at the sight of Sly, Murray, and Rexus, who stood grasping her staff, at the other end of the stake-riddled bridge stretching out across the drained pond. The teen, as soon as the three set their sights on her, said a bit cheerfully,

"Guess who's back and ready to kick some tail?"

_"If I don't start standing up…"_

"No! You mustn't…!" shouted Rajan, terror-stricken for but a moment.

_"…taking action…_" Faye smirked and peered up at him, retorting a little mysteriously,

"Oh, not that. Not who you think."

_"…and taking matters into my own hands…_" Right on cue, Neyla, with a piece of cloth covering the left half of her face, jumped down from wherever she was and Faye, like a kid in a candy store, beheld a creepy grin, dropped her things, and sped forward across the bridge. "_…I'll end up being dead_."

"Payback time, Neyla you witch!" She declared comfortably and confidently, easily hopping up to the top of the craggy gate and pouncing towards her. "Banzai!" Sly, Murray, and Rexus just stared at her, perhaps a little shocked that she was in one piece, until Neyla began to shift to her left and pull out her whip. Sly moved to lunge at her, however, Rexus did so first and smacked Faye's cane into Neyla's spine. In the brief moment that she could not move, Faye dug her claws deep into Neyla's shoulders, feeling the bone as the razor sharp nails' blunt ends pressed back against her fingers. Neyla screeched in anguish and Faye, in a single fluid motion, flipped over the tigress's head and onto her feet, her arms bent back behind her as she still clutched Neyla's shoulders. Not wasting a second, she used the momentum of the leap to heave the screaming Neyla over her head with unknown added strength, released her grasp, and flung her into the piranha-infested waters. Faye knelt down and breathed silently, hardly believing what she had just done.

"Hope the piranha find you," she said to herself, waiting for a movie-like return of the constable, growling obscenities at her as she climbed back from the depths of the deluged temple or reached her arms out from the water to pull the teen back with her. But she never rose, at least not immediately. If Neyla had already surfaced, then she was bound to be close by, waiting to strike back. There was no doubt in Faye's mind that she was not dead. Neyla was too ambitious to be killed in a place like Rajan's flooded spice temple by meaningless piranha. No, Neyla was the type to annoyingly keep returning like some sort of teaser villain again and again until someone was strong enough to knock her down for good.

"Welcome back, Faye," said Rexus, snapping Faye out of her concentration. She turned her head towards him to see the golden retriever holding out her cane. "I think you dropped this." Faye nodded, stood up, and wrapped her fingers around the weapon once again. Lightning cracked across the bridge, drawing their attention to the top of the stakes. Sly was making his way over them as Rajan shot bolts of electricity at him.

"The Clockwerk heart…you don't think it can control the forces of nature, do you?" Rexus asked Faye, but she was gone before he had finished his sentence. She could not stop and think about the inquiry while Rajan was still on the attack and the Contessa was lying in wait.

"Uh, Faye…?" spoke Murray as Faye dashed past him to the bridge.

"Not now, Murray," she said back, racing to the very last post before Sly got there. She adjusted the dial on her earcom, since it was more discreet than yelling, and stated quickly, "Sly, fall back. Let me get to Rajan first." She recognized Sly's pause on a post just two meters away as he immediately replied,

"What? You just got away from him! Why would you want to go back?" He leapt to another stake as Faye gave her response,

"Because he'll listen to me. Just trust me...please." There was a sigh from the other side of the line.

"Faye…I hope you know what you're doing." Sly jumped down from the stake, making it seem as though he had missed leaping onto another, and ran back to the start of the bridge.

"Thank you." Faye ended the conversation and bounded onto the nearest pike, clawing her way to the top. Before she had even reached the top, Rajan had spotted her. Faye wobbled on top of it, caught her balance and jumped to the solid roof in front of her, the same surface Sly was supposed to be on before he was to be struck by Rajan's lightning.

"Miss Faytin," began the tiger, "What are you doing here?"

"Never mind that," Faye said seriously, "Interpol is here."

"What? How did they find my spice temple?"

"I don't know, but they're waiting," Faye pointed at index finger out into jungle beyond the flooded parts of the ruins, "just outside the temple, ready to ambush you and the Cooper Gang! Constable Neyla and the Contessa are here, and so is Inspector Fox! Right now, it doesn't matter if the Cooper Gang has half of the Clockwerk heart! There's no way we're getting out of here alone unless we make a temporary truce with the Cooper Gang! Then we can hold an honorable match-"

"No!" bellowed Rajan, "They have ruined my spice temple and have put you in danger! I will not stand aside like a coward as my empire falls! A king must protect his country, kingdom, subjects, and those who stand beside him. I will _kill_ that Cooper _and_ his gang!" Horrified, Faye cried, a slight screech behind her first words,

"No! No more killing! No more vengeance, especially over something that was wrong in the first place! It doesn't matter who wins the battle, Interpol will win the war! We have to decide now what to do or we're all going to jail, Neyla will get _your_ half of the Clockwerk heart, and the Contessa will get the rest of your riches with her hypnotherapy treatments! No one will win this day if Interpol gets their paws on us! So…" Faye voice calmed, though still held a critical tone, "What will y – ahh!" Screeching the last of her words, Faye suppressed the urge to scream as she peered down at her left calf. A crimson dart was sticking out of her skin; the tip embedded in her sinews and muscles. She bent down and, clenching her teeth, quickly pulled out the projectile.

"Miss Faytin!" shouted Rajan. Rage began glowing in his orbs, he bared his gleaming teeth, and in a fear-rendering voice he roared, "Who dares to harm the future fiancée of the mighty Rajan!" Taking a moment to cringe at the word "fiancée," Faye gazed a bit closer at the object that had stricken her. A white blurry symbol was on the opposite side, provoking the teen's curiosity to turn it over.

Terror tore through her blood like the talons of Clockwerk. The mark imprinted on the glass vile was that of a skull and crossbones. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage, beating faster than it ever had before. Hyperventilation took over her breathing. Her vision became obscure. Faye fell to her knees, a coldness filling her stomach. The cane in her hand was limply released, falling to her side with a hollow thud.

"I'm coming!" The voice, even though it sounded far off, was familiar and it took a moment for her to recognize it.

"Cooper!" bellowed Rajan, raising his staff with the second half of the Clockwerk heart.

"No," Faye desperately cried, turning to the "Lord of the Hills" with a tear-stained mask, "it wasn't them! They're not this cold-blooded!" Rajan said fiercely,

"Then who? Who would dare harm you like this?" Before he was even done speaking, a drenched tigress dropped down from above, though from where was unclear. Faye's breathing gradually returned to normal and her eyes ceased welling up. Instead she gritted her teeth, showing them furiously, and grabbed her cane in a fist.

"You! You conniving witch! You poisoned me!"

"I hope you don't mean me," Neyla put a hand just below her neck as she spoke with the same tone she used when talking to Sly, "I don't use anything but this whip and I can assure you that it is _not_ poisonous." Without warning, Rajan roared as any angered tiger would. Whether it was from the knowledge that his supposed fiancée was to die or that he knew not who had cut down her vitality or by some other unknown factor, the Clockwerk heart, as if responding to him, began to tremble and emit a black and scarlet aura. Electricity arced from the heart as the aura enveloped Rajan from head to toe. He growled as he raised his staff, electricity charging in the heart of it. Neyla gasped and leapt away, leaving Faye to seize her staff, roll, and drop off to the bridge below. She landed on three paws as she kept her cane and the ill dart in her right hand, and peered upwards just in time to see a devastating bolt of lightning streak overhead, nearly blinding her as she held up her other hand to her face. A scream, a terrifying cry of agony, churned her stomach and brought forth shrieking words from her throat in well-nigh the same pitch,

"Sly!" So close. He was falling so close to her in an unconscious state. Leaving the cane and dart behind, Faye dashed forward to the limp figure as it descended from the tip of the stake. She extended her arms as the thief landed heavily in them, making her drop to her knees. One arm held up his back while the other was under his knees. Sly's clothes were burnt and smoldering from his cap to his gloves. His cane lay a few feet away with scorched patches all over it. Though what distressed Faye the most was how badly Sly, with his oaken eyes closed, had been injured. His fur was singed, his wounds were bleeding, and she was uncertain of how severe was damage was to him as he breathed raggedly. She could swear, even through her wracked nerves and strangely aching stomach, that a helicopter was flying in the distance, but it was highly unlikely.

**Thud!** Faye slightly gasped and turned her head around to the source of the noise. Rajan, glaring his now unnaturally bloodthirsty eyes, snarled at her and raised his staff once more. Grasping Sly's body, Faye summoned every bit of strength in her muscles and bones, shifted her legs to get a bit off the ground, and poorly lunged out the line of fire. She turned her attention back to where Murray and Rexus were to see them racing, or in Murray's case, jogging, towards her.

"Guys!" That was all Faye could get out before she had to crudely dodge electricity again in her previous fashion.

"Sly! Faye! I'm coming buddies!" Murray declared loudly, charging towards Rajan and capturing the crazed tiger's focus. Rexus split from the hippo's side and came to Faye's, bending down and sliding his arms near hers to support Sly so she could release him. The two got to their feet and hurried away from Rajan as Murray came at him with tightened fists. There was a guttural growl, the roar of lightning, and a yelp of anguish, making Faye skid to a stop and Rexus pause in his steps. Murray was gone though the splash of water from the relatively drained pond below signaled where he was. Rajan bounded over the side of the bridge and he could be heard saying in an even more savage tone than he had ever uttered before,

"This is it? This is the Cooper Gang I've heard so much about and feared these long hours?"

"This is wrong! This is very wrong!" Faye said, turning to Rexus. "Get to the other end. I need to get something." He nodded, the duo taking off in opposite directions. Even as she rushed, Faye could still overhear the discourse between the maniacal Rajan and _The Murray_.

"_The Murray_ will renew your fear."

_"This is so wrong...ugh…_" The pang in her stomach would not leave her and it worsened by the moment.

"Who's _The Murray_? All I see is a fat pathetic weakling."

_"And what was with that aura__?" _She came to the entrance to the temple where she had left her items before, her head pounding.

"I might be big and not as smart as the other guys…but one thing I'm not…is **weak**!"

_"And why did it come from the Clockwerk heart?_" Punches flew and landed in the 'arena' beneath her as the battle began. Faye collected the first-aid kit, her cane, her old clothing, and the corrupt dart from where she had left them and sped back to where Rexus had lied down the master thief. Arriving to the wounded Sly as the fight went on underneath them, Faye placed her things on the ground and opened the kit.

"Here," she said, "This should help, but we need to get him to a hospital or something." They began rummaging through the case, taking out various healing ointments and bandages that had been left over from Faye's treatment.

"You should really be looking for an antidote for that poison." Faye gave a throaty growl and, taking up her cane, stood up, turning around.

"Let me guess," she said glaring at the drenched Neyla, standing with her arms crossed just several feet in front of her, "you got a vulture guard to shoot that dart at me."

"You're not as senseless as you look," she replied casually, "I happen to have the antidote right here." She patted a pocket and briefly produced a small narrow vile of clear liquid from it before placing it back inside. "Of course it-"

"Comes with a price," finished Faye. "Either I die or I give into your demands to get the antidote. I get it." Neyla smirked,

"Good, then I can get right to the point: you come along quietly with The Contessa and me, you don't suffer the same fate as the Cooper Gang, you are not hypnotized by The Contessa, you get to go home, and in return you get the antidote." Faye crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and said,

"Or I _don't_ come along with you and The Contessa, I _help_ the Cooper Gang, _stay away_ from The Contessa," she uncrossed her arms, "I _still_ get to go home, and on top of that-" Intentionally cutting off her own sentence, Faye jerked her wrist at 'of,' sending the bottom of her cane upwards and forward into Neyla's stomach. She used more force when it found its mark, leaving the constable breathless. Rexus, on his feet by then, drove a fist into her face, knocking the traitor to the ground. The next moment went by almost instantly as Faye pinned down Neyla's forearms while Rexus held down her knees on the ground, both avoiding her claws and whip. Being the strongest, Rexus took the vile from her pocket and set it behind him near the first-aid kit.

"Never," he said scowling, "put her life in danger again, or so help me I will _rip out_ your spine, watch you bleed, _tear open your skull_, and **bash your brains in with your spine! **_Is that clear!_" There was an eerie feeling to his words, as if he did not make them up alone. At the same moment, a distant voice in Faye's mind resonated with those words, even though one would be dead as soon as the spine was removed, in rhythm with her beating heart.

"So is that it then?" said Neyla as if they were the ones restrained, "You think that you can just grab the antidote and get away with it?" Still the voice in Faye's subconscious continued, staying where it was.

"What do you mean?" Rexus growled, tensing his grip.

"What I mean," said Neyla replying to Rexus, "is that The Contessa will see to it that you two as well as the Cooper Gang are locked up for the rest of your lives." In the pause that followed, Faye looked up to him and inquired a tad randomly, putting her concerns on hold for a moment,

"Want to throw her into the flooded temple?" Rexus grinned,

"Alright." Still grasping Neyla, the two lifting her up, and began to swing her to and fro. In unison they said,

"One…Two…Three!" At that, they released the flailing feline into the water and smirked. Faye bent down and picked up the vile that Rexus had gotten, taking off the cork that plugged it. Having no idea what it might taste like, she poured the substance past her taste buds and down her throat before muttering an 'ick.'

"Hey, Rexus." He glanced up from his crouched position as he did his best to treat Sly's injuries.

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor will ya?" She began taking off her new shoes in exchange for her old ones. "The next time Neyla resurfaces, punch her in the face."

"Gladly." Faye stuffed the slippers into her thigh pack along with the vile and dart, making sure that the glass objects were the furthest from where the material of the pack met her skin. She did not want to be stabbed by the dart or have broken glass from either pierce the penetrable fabric and harm her then or later.

"Should be soon. Get ready," she warned her partner. Rexus's one syllable response was,

"Right." He pushed himself up and cracked his knuckles.

"Faye! Faye can you read me!" a nasally voice screamed in her ear.

"Y-ack!" she cried, pressing the button on her earcom, "Yes! I read you!"

"You read me what?" Rexus asked confusedly.

"Not you, Rexus. It's Bentley." She pushed the button again and spoke, "What is it?"

"I'm sending over the RC Chopper with a makeshift stretcher for Sly. Tell Rexus to _care-ful-ly_," he stressed the word as his quick, semi-frantic voice went on, "harness up Sly when it gets there. As he does that, you should hold on to the claw from the Chopper and hang on to it as I fly you back."

"Are you sure that thing can hold us?" Faye glimpsed up to see Rexus watching the water for any signs of Neyla.

"It can jerk a 200-pound guard off his feet… I think it can support someone lighter than that." Even though he was trying to keep calm, it was clear that he was freaking out at the current situation. Faye smiled and replied,

"I believe in you, Bentley. If anyone can pull this off, it's the number one brainiac of the Cooper Gang!" For a little added pep, she pumped her left fist in the air, half hoping that the brains of the band was watching.

"…Okay. Here I go." Despite her confidence in Bentley, Faye felt an uncomfortable sensation arise from her heart and spread to her spine. Neyla had not risen yet and she was due to bust the Cooper Gang and Carmelita soon. In addition, the nagging voice in the back of Faye's mind had not stopped and her stomach still felt as if it were being squeezed from the inside. The pair was still waiting for the constable when the whirring of the RC Chopper's blades came within earshot. Both Faye and Rexus observed as the Chopper lowered what looked like a torn up white parachute with improvised straps attached to it.

"Alright, Rexus," said Faye, "You have to harness up Sly _care-ful-ly_. I'll go back with the RC Chopper like Bentley said. He'll probably take Sly back then you. Don't know what we'll do about Murray," she picked up her shabby jeans and shirt in her hand with the cane, "but we'll think of something." Rexus nodded and took the harness off the hook it was on. Faye grasped the claw on the end of the rope from the mini-helicopter as it rose into the sky and extended the grappling hook.

"Hang on," came Bentley's shaky voice as the helicopter flew higher and away from the deluged temple to a towering hilltop overlooking the ruins. The grappling hook retracted as she hung on for dear life, looking back only once to see Rexus cautiously harnessing up the wounded leader. Only two-thirds there, the sudden urge to doze off came over her. She gasped a bit, shaking her head and regaining her composure and grip.

At last the RC Chopper hovered her over the hilltop where Bentley and Natasha had relocated to in the helicopter. Faye let go of the claw and landed next to Bentley.

"Where's Natasha?" she asked immediately.

"She's in the helicopter, staying dry and conserving her energy," he responded, directing the Chopper back to the others with his controller.

"Just hurry," Faye said a bit queasy, "Neyla is going to show up as soon as Rajan's finished to arrest Sly, Murray, and Rexus." Bentley inquired as he continued to direction his deadly toy,

"What's the matter?" Faye waved a hand and shook her head.

"Nothing," she answered almost as sickly as before, "I'll be alright. We just need to get the others over here as soon as…" Faye blinked. Neyla was advancing upon Rexus from the direction of Rajan's office. "No…" She turned to her companion. "Bentley, where's your crossbow?"

"In the helicopter. Why do you ask?" He kept his attention on the RC Chopper and did not notice Faye as she slid open the helicopter door. Natasha was huddled inside along with Josie next to Bentley's weapon.

"Faye!" she declared joyfully. Faye merely muttered,

"Great to see you, Natasha. Stay here," she took up the crossbow. "I've got some business to do." She shut the door and hurried over to the cliff with Bentley. By then, Rexus was staring down the constable, guarding Sly's inanimate body. Faye reached into her pack, pulled out the dart, and loaded it into the weapon. She peered into the sight, which looked exactly like it did in the game when a player was aiming for a target, and trained her eye on Neyla. Trying to point the center at her neck, Faye fired, hearing Neyla yelp in pain as it hit her shoulder. Faye gave a small "Heh-heh-heh" and let the weapon hang in her hand on her side. Below, Rexus socked Neyla's face, keeping his word and causing her to stumble backward.

As good as things were beginning to get, they quickly spiraled into a vile pit of desperation. A streak of webbing shot out from the darkness and wrapped around Rexus's arms, torso, and legs, disabling his movements as he fell to the ground. Another string enveloped the blades of the RC Chopper, causing it to slowly descend.

"Oh no!" said Bentley, "…I need to bring in the Chopper, or we won't be able to save it or the gang!" Even with it being so high, Bentley still had trouble bringing it back. Faye's stomach calmed down as Neyla approached the edge of the pond. It was faint, but Faye could hear Murray shouting,

"Victory belongs to _The Murray_!"

"Sly's going to want this half of the Clockwerk heart safe and sound…" Faye murmured to herself, recalling what the brawn of the team must have been saying to himself.

"…Faye," Bentley said, still trying to control his chopper. "What do you mean?"

"Happy day!" cried Neyla. Her voice was clear despite them being some ways away.

"Devastation…" Faye said seriously as the event unfurled in front of their eyes.

"Whuh? Neyla?" questioned Murray in the pit, "Throw down a ladder. Sly's hurt real bad… Can you hear me? …I said Sly's hurt!"

_"He has to know…"_

"I see a traitor lurking around the bend…" Faye said, reciting a lyric from her song.

"There they are Contessa," Neyla announced triumphantly, "just as I promised. The Cooper Gang and Rajan all incapacitated." The Contessa, finally emerging from the shadows, put her hands together and clapped. Right behind her was Carmelita, arms folded for a brief moment before her eyes caught the sight of Sly.

"I see a friendship broken that has to be mend…" Faye said a little more, elaborating in an allusion to Bentley her foreshadowed knowledge. The widow remarked,

"Excellent police work Constable Neyla. Carmelita's never been able to catch the Cooper gang, yet you capture them in just a few short weeks." Carmelita snapped her head to them.

"Well I never…" Faye brought out her binocucom to get a closer look. The Contessa spoke nonchalantly,

"Really Carmelita, accept your defeat gracefully."

"I've seen the rise of a righteous band and the fall of a 'prestigious' man…" Faye said slowly as Neyla double-crossed yet again.

"Actually Contessa, there's a good reason Inspector Fox never caught the Cooper Gang… She's been in league with them the whole time."

"Liar, prove it!" Carmelita glared at the constable, daring her to prove her words.

_"No…"_ Faye zoomed in to see Neyla pulling out a small square from her pocket.

"This is a photo of Carmelita dancing with Sly Cooper on the night the Clockwerk wings were stolen." Carmelita, in her defense as her own lawyer, attempted to defy the evidence,

"But I didn't know I was dancing with _Cooper_." The Contessa grabbed the photograph and massaged her chin.

"You two certainly seem very…familiar in this picture. Men, place Inspector Fox under arrest." Said inspector growled as two vultures began to handcuff her,

"I'll get you Neyla…don't think I won't." The Contessa sighed,

"Such a pity when an officer falls from the light." In a fake concerned tone, Neyla replied,

"Yes…indeed." Tears welled in Faye's eyes at her failure. Rexus was snatched up by more vultures, handcuffed, and after having the webbing cut from him, was forced to march behind Carmelita. Sorrowfully, Faye recited,

"But you wouldn't believe it if you heard... Because the future can be hard to believe, but the time has come for my prophecy's eve…" She lowered her gadget and shut her eyes, hearing Bentley sputter,

"I can't believe it…that double crossing, no good cockney…**liar**!" He turned to Faye, "You knew this would happen! But…how? …Why?" Faye sniffed and said with a nearly cracked voice,

"I'm sorry Bentley. I didn't want this to happen. I did what I could…but it wasn't enough…" She clutched her binocucom as tears threatened to leave her. "I stole Neyla's camera at the ball. I tried to stop her from showing the photo. I tried to make Rajan get on our side. I tried to stop this but I failed! I'm sorry, Bentley, I'm sorry!" Behind his glasses, the turtle beheld anger and woe. Faye put up her binocucom, handing off the crossbow to Bentley. He took it just as Natasha came out of the broken down helicopter.

"What's going on?" she asked innocently. Faye was the one to answer first,

"Failure, Natasha. Failure of the highest degree."

"_The false reality…"_ echoed Yami at long last, _"it could still come true if they're taken to the Contessa's prison in Prague."_ Natasha tilted her head in confusion and asked another inquiry,

"Failure…?"

"Natasha…" started Bentley but Faye cut him off, lifting her head,

"It can be fixed. All we have to do is get to our next destination," she turned to the brainiac and the orphan, "Prague." She directed her attention once more to the temple below and could only helplessly look on as Sly, Murray, Carmelita, and Rexus were chained up and forced to walk in custody, being herded away from view.

* * *

SQ (a.k.a. the authoress formerly known as SQ): Forgive the rush job at the end. I figured you people had waited long enough for me to update. I'll tie up loose ends in the next chapter (if someone makes a list of any that I may have missed before the next update I'll be grateful). And…All right, I admit it. I had absolutely _no idea_ what I was doing at this point (not to mention that the computer messed up at one point and a chunk of story was deleted). I had no plan whatsoever diving into this chapter. All I knew was that Episode 3 had to end soon so we could get on with it. Alright, actual author notes: Faye's hair is allowed to be shown even though she is in a costume, because Penelope and Carmelita did it as well. I see it like this: if Sucker Punch can get away with it, so can I. Second, Rajan-plus-crush-on-Faye equals "Ahhh!" I really,_ really, __**really**_ hate the pairing. (twitch) Oy… Third: the whole aura thing was spontaneous and yet not so at the same time (will be explained later; please remind me two chapters into Episode 5 or I might forget). Clockwerk's energy from the heart enhanced Rajan's anger and blinded him from the truth, thus sending him into a frenzy (which was worse than in the game) and making it so that he would go along with the game's original plot…sort of.

Trinity: Indeed, this was one of the more…skewed chapters in the story.

SQ: No kidding. Fourth note: it turns out that I had writer's block (thought the cause of the problem was because I was too busy). Fifth: ow my brain. It took some time to get this right without terribly rushing and causing plot holes (loathe them too; it has happened before in earlier chapters). Sixth: the helicopter sound Faye heard was of Bentley flying the assault 'copter he was in from the leaning tower to higher ground (though what isn't said is that it ran out of gas before he could land someplace better). Heh. (quietly) Chile bazooka… I should probably say it now that I am considering making 'what-if' scenarios from this fanfiction. So for those who ever wondered "What if Faye had been reckless in her fight against Dimitri?" or "What if Faye and Sly's relationship was something more?" can see the flip side of the outcomes. However, the ratings will vary in these sketches only because of graphic violence in certain ones (the fights in particular, but only if many want it written) and the rating will be displayed before the chapter. I'll be taking requests, but these "secret files" will **not part of the main plot.** Therefore, anything random or sudden may occur that will not affect the storyline.

Natasha (singing): "Do do do-do… Dun. Dun. _The Murray_!" Hmm? What?

SQ: You're not singing what I think you're singing, are you?

Natasha: May-be. …"Da-da-dun! _Who's…the Pink Tornado?_ Bum. _Who's…a Mad Torpedo?_ …"

SQ: (shakes head) Please don't let that hit the airwaves.

Faye: Too late. It's on the radio.

SQ: -.- Okay… Well, we'll be back next chapter when the broken band tries to cope with the absence of Sly, Murray, and Rexus.

Natasha: "_Death by Thunder Flop! No way to top cause he's 'The Murray'!…_"

SQ: Ahem. (Natasha stops singing) So…

SQ, Trinity, Faye, Natasha: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief!


	20. Unwanted Presence

Natasha: (on stage with Cooper affiliate banners, posters, etc. and a setup like a radio station) Welcome back to S-A-A-C! Your place to hang with the Cooper gang! …Okay they're not here, but you can still hang!

SQ: ...Okaaay then... Now, besides Natasha going DJ after the last chapter, I have official pre-chapter author's notes. They are: (1) any loose ends from the last chapter will be tied up here (they always are, :P) and (2) I substituted "God" for "gawd" in some dialogue in the beginning because I believe in not using His name in vain (I think Sucker Punch did that in the first game too…). Why not "gosh"? Well let's see: Sly, Murray, and Rexus are gone, Neyla was just seen as a traitor last chapter, everyone's upset, and, oh yeah, they're out in the middle of nowhere! Not to mention that, since the world is no longer a game, **anything** can happen. Yeah, like it would really be easy to keep your cool in those conditions. Note number three: I was stuck on this chapter for some time until a certain person gave me some ideas on how to progress the story in an e-mail (you know who you are; just not saying since we're not suppose to "talk" to readers in the fanfics). Note number four: my Windows 95 computer has been replaced now by an XP, meaning that I'm now able to continue writing without fear of losing everything. Here's hoping I never have to cancel this, or any other, fanfic. Note five: I will be breaking this chapter into at least **two parts** since it has enough words as is (besides, this is a looong time filler, taking up the days before the jailbreak). And note number six: I currently have a bunch of things going on right now. I'm surprised I have time to pull this fanfic up and continue it with everything else as hectic as it is. Ah well...Can't be helped.

Audience: (Silence)

SQ: …Can we get something random please?

Natasha: And now for the top song of the week!

SQ: Oh no… Not-

Natasha: _"The Murray!"_ Give it up, ya'll! (music pounds in BG)

SQ: That's it. On with the chapter before people start to hear it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sly Cooper or any relayed copyrights. If I did, I would probably put in a song called _"The Murray"_ in the next installment…(…I hope to someday, though I might be on my way towards working for Sucker Punch if all goes as planned…Or I'll just be an author. Yeah, I'll be an author/writer.)

**Important Notes:** (Sorry for their abruptness.) The counting of days in the chapter goes by what Bentley says in the setup of Episode 4: "It took a sleepless week of data crunching…" So basically, they have a week to get to Prague (over a week, actually, since it would have taken time from when Bentley originally found out about cell block 'D' to get to Contessa's prison). Plus, I've found out that it's "Safe House" not "safehouse". Also the so-called "song" on day two (the spontaneous one) is mine. I made it so I'm not breaking any rules on the site.

Now, please enjoy this long over-due chapter (which took longer due to the outdated computer and life).

_Chapter 20: Unwanted Presence_

_/Day one…/_

The Cooper getaway van screeched and jerked along the off-road trail of dirt as Bentley attempted to drive stick shift away from the jungle. Faye sat shotgun as Natasha sat in her lap - for safety - with Josie in her sweatshirt. Natasha was in tears, softly sobbing as the vehicle stalled repeatedly, making the trip bumpier than usual. Faye held Natasha close, knowing the next few days would be rough, if not impossible, to bear on the hearts of the individuals in the van. Bentley grunted, trying to figure out which position was best for the stick shift as he drove to get them all to refuge.

"Bentley, ugh," Faye grunted as she was jerked back into her seat, "try - er - keeping it - oof - in - uh - one place!" Hands shaking, Bentley left the stick shift in one position, only having trouble reaching the pedals. "Maybe some cut-off stilts or blocks can help?" Faye suggested spontaneously off the top of her head, seeing her companion trying to press the gas pedal and steer the van at the same time. Faye let go of Natasha now that it was safe and unbuckled her seatbelt. She reached into the back of the vehicle and brought up some books bound together with less-than-durable rope. Natasha buckled up in Faye's place, still clutching the poor kitten in her sweatshirt.

"I'll fix these to the pedals. Just keep driving," Faye said, ducking below the seats and leaning towards the gas and brake pedals. It took some doing, but after rearranging the ropes to fit over the slabs of metal, Bentley's feet were only inches from the books and thus being able to control the vehicle better. Making her way into the back of the van again, Bentley said a bit nervously,

"T-Thanks, F-Faye." The young panther sniffled and somewhat spoke in a somber tone,

"It's not your fault, Faye. They were strong…and there wasn't enough of us…and…" She broke down again into tears, making poor Josie struggle to escape from her grasp.

"Yes, it is," returned Faye, moving aside objects in the back here and there, "I knew what was going to happen, but no matter what I did, things just…" She found another two books and rope and sighed, "…Fell apart…" She gingerly picked up the items and climbed back into the front seat.

"But you saved me," insisted Natasha, "If it weren't for you, I'd still be alone in Bollywood or caught by the Contessa and that deranged Neyla." She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue and let out a small, but just noticeable chuckle in her slowing sobs. Seeing a chance to cheer her up, Faye, while adjusting and tying the books to the other ones, commented,

"_She's_ the one who should be in the Contessa's prison. Imagine all the crazy things you could make her do." Natasha, her weepy eyes having a chance to dry, blinked as she tried to see Neyla's reactions in her mind's eye. She chuckled again as Faye added, "Imagine being able to convince her that she was a monkey…or an elephant…or a desk." Natasha said laughing a bit,

"A desk?" Faye finally set the books so that Bentley's feet could reach them. She sat next to Natasha and went on though her voice was not elated,

"So you could tell her that she had once been a tree and that she is reliving the experience from tree to desk." The van screeched and abruptly jerked, hurling Faye forward into the dashboard. A sickened thud of rigid plastic and forehead reverberated in the vehicle. The teenager cried out in sudden pain and held her head with both hands, grunting as her head throbbed in terrible torment. Natasha reached over to put her paws on Faye's right shoulder, Josie jumping out of her arms, and said first,

"Faye! Oh my gosh!"

"Oh my gawd!" Bentley burst out along with the little panther. "Faye, are you okay?" The van slowed as he leaned over to check on her, glancing to the road to see where he was going.

Images flashed before Faye's eyes, or at least on the inside of her eyelids. It was a volcano. She could not remember the name, but it was the same volcano that the foul Clockwerk had been stationed at in Sly's first adventure. She saw the chamber with Carmelita, trapped in the same glass capsule as she had two years ago. A mature Sly was rushing indirectly towards her, passing the various snares to reach her. In another flash, he was across the booby-trapped floor in front of the Inspector. At once, a cylinder cage came down, entrapping the thief. Another flash and she was looking at Murray, chained down like some monster. Shackles were placed around his ankles and wrists and to add to his imprisonment, he was in a cramped enclosure with unusually thick bars that seemed unbendable and unbreakable.

"Three down," said Neyla, appearing before her, the tigress' face enlightened by the glow of nearby lava.

"And one to incarcerate," Faye heard herself say, although it had a slightly more adult tone.

"Faye? Are you okay?" Natasha's voice was distant, but it was enough to bring her back to the present. Faye shook her head and sat back in her seat, her head aching less. She rubbed it a bit and said,

"Heh. I'll live. I'll have a headache, but I'll live… Shouldn't we get going?" Trembling, Bentley nodded and pressed the gas pedal to continue rolling along. Natasha sat back as Faye pushed the images away from her mind. "Go to sleep, Natasha," she said. "It was a long walk and it's going to be awhile before we get to where we're going." Natasha gave a slight groan of protest before settling in her seat and closing her eyes, Josie deciding against huddling in her lap but in a bundle of covers in back. Faye turned to Bentley and put a hand on the wheel, steadying the route the brainy guy was taking.

"We'll get to them. I know we will," she said sensitively with confidence.

'_It freakin' __**hurts**__! Ow, ow, ow, ow, __**ow**__!_'

"I…I know," Bentley said, his voice quick and shaking, "but who knows what's happening to them? Neyla could be planning to use Sly, Murray, and Rexus to trap us!"

'_I curse Neyla with a thousand pounding headaches!_'

"Neyla has bigger plans than petty kidnappings, but I'll tell you everything at Prague like I promised." Faye let go of the wheel and sat back in her seat, the bumps not as bad as before. It was like a rocking motion, cradling Faye to sleep before a sharp jolt would awaken her. It seemed to occur for hours until the van halted and the engine quieted. Dead tired, Faye peered out the windshield at blurry figures of brown and green in the light of the afternoon sun. Bentley's form climbed over the front seat and into the back, though Faye could not pay enough attention (or at least stay awake long enough) to hear the click-clacking of keys as she passed out.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A slightly younger Faye was standing next to her raven-haired, bright blue-eyed companion under a group of trees in the moonlight. Both had donned similar black clothing of shirts and pants, blending into the shadows that swept over them and the ground beneath their feet. The dark of night made it difficult to notice the two as they spoke quietly to one another.

"Now," said Trinity, "try again. Try to kick the same area as I have." She swiftly moved a leg and struck a tree trunk roughly five feet up from the ground. Glancing at the stricken area, Faye said to her friend,

"I'm not the most flexible person around, you know. Besides, we've been doing this for months!" The other nodded and crossed her arms,

"Yes, but I have seen what you can do. Your physical ability lies in precision, not swiftness." Faye shook her head.

"I'll never get it, Trinity," she said, each word - save the last - directed with a little oomph. The other merely blinked, unfazed at all by Faye's words.

"I do not, and will not, believe such a thing, Faye. Now kick." Faye sighed exasperatedly, stood sideways to the tree and lifted her right leg off the ground as she kept her balance. Then in one near-fluid motion, a tad hesitant as she tilted herself to one side, Faye hit the standing timber with her foot just about three inches off the mark that had been set. "Almost there. Again," said Trinity. Faye repeated her actions, slowing down a bit to focus on the destined spot, and struck closer to where she was aiming. Trinity nodded. "Good. Again." For what seemed over an hour and a half the night went on, each blow with the foot becoming more and more accurate until Trinity uttered,

"Perfect." Faye smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I did it… I did it!" She chuckled then turned to her friend. "Thanks." She brought down her foot and stretched her aching and worn out limbs.

"Now, try here." The instructing acquaintance kicked higher than before. Faye's jaw fell upon observing the new area almost six feet up the tree. "Remember, it is precision, not swiftness, that is your goal. Concentrate, take your time, and be patient." Faye's eyes dragged over to Trinity.

"You're cruel, you know that?" she said, sarcasm evident in her tone. Trinity replied simply,

"Just as was done unto to me, I will see that your potential is not disregarded."

"Yeah, yeah…" Faye grumbled, already getting tired of being out so late. As she continued to hit the area marked for her, Trinity abruptly grasped her foot in mid-blow after several minutes.

"That is all for now," she stated, letting go of the ankle. Faye returned both feet to the earth as she went on, "Do not fill your life with monotony. In the next interval we assemble we will work on your mental and physical responses. Until then I suggest you rest and recuperate well." Faye unwillingly yawned and blinked, trying to pay attention. "There is no use in pursuing something if your body is not yet ready to carry on, fore it would only injure you." Faye wearily nodded and waved,

"See ya later then." Trinity put her palms together, closed her eyes, and bowed.

"May peace be within your thoughts tonight." She rose. "Just as the moon rises…"

"…the sun sets as they meet in twilight." Faye finished. In unison they spoke,

"Twilight is the origin. Twilight is the end. Where two beings part they will meet again." Everything went black and Faye once again found herself in the darkness of her subconscious. This was evident by the sight of Yami abruptly appearing in front of her face. So abruptly in fact that Faye yelped and staggered backwards (though she did not know how in that space), her heart swiftly beating at the sight of such a scarred face. It resembled a war-worn façade like that out of a documentary of a nearly devastated, yet living, soldier who would assuredly have shell shock. There were no words that could describe such horror of the injured and misshapen face, and Faye could not think of anything scarier or more appalling than what she was gazing upon at the moment. No doubt that it would have haunted her for over a fortnight if it had not reverted back to the familiar visage of her older self.

"Sorry," murmured the other, "I tried not to reveal that to you." Yami did not seem to be terribly upset, yet her tone was sincere. Perhaps that was because it was…natural? The image of something to cause such distortions to permanently wound someone even in death made Faye's stomach twist and churn. Yami disrupted her thoughts as she spoke,

"You saw that, correct? The image of the Gang being captured?" Faltering, Faye nodded in acknowledgment although in truth she was suppressing the contents of her stomach. Yami withdrew from her place, turning her back to the teenager. "That was the beginning of the end. We had arranged to catch Carmelita and use her as bait to lure Sly to us. Once he was close and Bentley was rupturing the firewall for the gas chamber, I drew Murray into the clutches of the Klaww Gang with sustenance, something he desperately required after such a tiresome journey. Within the hour that the Cooper Gang had arrived at the volcano, Sly, Carmelita, and Murray were…incapacitated." The familiar silence of acknowledgement and reflection followed and pervaded the void, both knowing, yet never speaking, of a future that was ill with chaos; a tomorrow that reeked of death; an era in which Clockwerk, fused with a deranged member of the Klaww Gang, ruled a hate-filled world with an iron talon.

"I'll stop it," said Faye, shattering the stillness of the moment. Yami's eyes slid to her left, but she did not turn her head. "I'll stop the Klaww Gang…and I'll help Natasha." Faye's eyes darted to the dark ground she stood on. "…Somehow…" she peered up, "then I'll get home."

"…And Rexus?" Yami fully turned towards Faye, hands behind her back. A small whisper of a "huh" was uttered by Faye proceeded by a low "oh." The thought of the brainwashed golden retriever in custody passed through her mind, making her stomach lurch and her head droop slightly.

"I guess…" said Faye, finally breaking free of her monosyllabic mumbling, "I'll save him." She rose her head up. "What happens from there depends on his attitude and what he wants to do." Yami nodded.

"That is all you can do for him right now. Just trust in yourself and your instincts and keep the Cooper Gang close to you. Good luck." The darkness began to vanish in exchange for a dim light. "You will need it to oppose Fate's design." The light became brighter and more brilliant until it reversed and dulled to a gray.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Faye opened her eyes to the midday glow of the sun's beams piercing the surrounding trees around the team van. Her eyelids threatened to close with the strain of weariness upon her, but she fought against it in a rush, pushing herself up from the position she had woken up in; lying her head down on a small white pillow in the driver's seat with the rest of her body lying where she had been sitting earlier. She sat up, shaking her head and rubbing her closed eyelids with the lower part of her palms. A small groan of exhaustion escaped her lips; three hours of walking through a damp jungle was not exactly relaxing. Rapid clicking and clacking finally reached Faye's ears as she became adjusted to her surroundings. She turned her head - and consequently her torso - so that she could peer into the back of the van. The brainy turtle was still at his laptop, typing away without pause.

"What are you doing, Bentley?" she asked, fatigue clear as day on her face and in her voice. "Our next stop is Prague." Bentley, without glancing away from the screen, replied,

"I'm attempting to identify the location of where Sly and Murray are going to be held." Faye wiped her right hand down her face and yawned,

"I believe it was…cell block 'D'."

"Are you sure?" Faye rested her arms on the top of the seat and lay her head on them.

"I know it isn't 'A' or 'C'." Bentley took a glimpse of Faye then returned to his typing.

"What about 'B'?" Still worn-out from their failed operation, Faye simply answered,

"I dunno anymore." The intellectual turtle halted his fingers and turned to Faye. He said with a hint of urgency in his tone,

"Well we have to know the right one, Faye. Was it 'B' block or 'D' block?" Something in Faye's brain clicked and she blinked. Eyes growing a little wider despite her tiredness, she responded,

"'B' block doesn't sound right. …I believe… No - I know it was 'D' block that they're in…" Faye shook her head and muttered, "Sorry, I mean, that they'll be put in." She blinked and groaned, trying to fight back her exhaustion as Bentley grew silent for a moment, perhaps thinking of whether or not to be convinced of Faye's information. He shook his head and sighed.

"I trust what you're saying," he said, "But I still need to locate a layout of the Contessa's prison to establish a satisfying Safe House." Even in her weary state of mind, Faye could detect the trembling in Bentley's voice. Faye sank in her seat, her eyes and nose appearing just over the top of it.

"Just go to sleep," she muttered wearily. "As long as we get there in a week, we'll be fine."

"But -"

"I'll take care of it. Just get some sleep." Faye's head continued to droop and eventually she curled up on the pillow, falling asleep once again.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

When Faye opened her eyes again, it was still light out, despite the fact that the sun's light was dimmed. Bentley could still be heard typing away on his laptop, a series of jumbled computer jargon escaping his mouth. The passenger side door opened with a small groan. Natasha stood there as her kitten leapt up onto the car seat.

"Oh, hi Faye," she said, "I just had let Josie out for a little bit." Faye sighed and pushed back her bangs with her right hand. All too real was the severity of the situation. So much so that it sent chills down the teen's spine. Sly, Murray, and Rexus were being held captive under the Klaww member Contessa in a heavily guarded prison. Carmelita was going to be hypnotized into being the Contessa's personal slave and most likely sent to kill Faye; no blood on the hands of the Klaww. Would things go just as they had in the game in her world? Would Sly be in solitary isolation when they got there? Would they be too late? And what about Natasha? What awaited her at journey's end? Certainly not to go back to her stepfather who would kill a poor defenseless kitten to establish dominance. Just what would he do to Natasha…? The little panther's voice broke the intensity of the moment,

"Faye?" Faye muttered half-heartedly,

"Yeah…" There was not much on Faye's mind except one thought that she let be fully known, "We've got to go as soon as possible. There's no telling what's happening to the others right now." Faye peered over the back of the headrest. Mr. Never-Stops-Typing seemed like he was going to collapse with his constant mumbling. "Bentley, we need you to drive. We should find a good place for a Safe House if we go there personally to scope it out, so you can get off that laptop." Reclaiming some rationality, he looked up.

"I suppose you're right," said Bentley, suppressing a yawn with his right hand, "but I'm too tired right now… You'll have to drive and Natasha will have to give you the directions." He turned and showed his laptop to Faye as Natasha peeked over the seat to see it. "Just follow the route I've charted and we can get there in approximately four and a half days provided we don't run into any trouble." Bentley restrained another yawn from escaping, though it was futile on his behalf.

"Easier said than done," said Faye, reaching out to receive the laptop. She sat up, sitting the computer on her crossed legs, and looked at the blinking scarlet curves that led to a small, circled island in Prague. Wearily, the brains of the band inquired,

"Can you drive?" Faye looked up and shook her head.

"I never learned. I never even got my learner's permit."

"Me neither," chimed in Natasha, climbing over to Faye's side. Bentley rubbed his head and groaned,

"I'll drive then-"

"After," Faye sternly interjected, "you get some sleep. It does us no good to try and get to the Contessa if you're tired." She wagged her right index finger at him, "There is no use in pursuing something if your body is not yet ready to carry on, fore it would only injure you." Natasha blinked, her mouth open slightly at a phrase that would be expected of Bentley to utter.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked in awe. Faye glanced downwards at the seat as if searching for an answer. She said,

"Not sure… Strange though since I just remembered it. …Think it had to do with some…divine thing…" After a few seconds, something clicked in her head. "Trinity. Trinity…" Faye said slowly, as if trying to recall it completely. She shook her head. "How could I forget that? …My long-time friend…"

"Well…" murmured Natasha. Faye peered over and gave a 'hmm' as the little panther went on, "I might be wrong, but…remember what you wrote in your last journal entry? Something about the Klaww Gang and memories?"

"Memories…" Faye murmured, her eyes darting here and there and finally on the steering wheel as she turned to think, ignoring the fact that Natasha had invaded her journals and was currently taking the laptop from her.

'_The Klaww Gang's Dimension Disrupter failed, didn't it? I remember a lot of things, but why not Trinity? She helped me when there was trouble at home. Yelling…_' Faye let out a small gasp. Try she might, she could not see two important images in her mind's eye. Again and again she failed, breathing faster under she was hyperventilating. Faye jerked her hand without warning to the car door handle and wrenched it open. She scrambled out of the van, holding her head with both hands. Her breathing wouldn't slow. The word 'no' escaped from her mouth repeatedly. Her mind ran rampant until she breathlessly said to herself, slowing down her breathing a bit,

"Why can't I remember them…? Why…?"

"Faye?" came Natasha's voice. The van's back doors squeaked opened.

"What seems to be the problem?" Bentley's voice questioned. However, the two were not answered. Faye fell to her knees, eyes closed tight in the small clearing amongst the trees. A multitude of voices reverberated within her mind from those she had once heard before.

"_Yes, the Dimension Disrupter failed but only partly."_

"_So how are we going to handle this mishap?"_

"_You told us that she would lose all of her memory except for her name, the Cooper Gang's weaknesses, and our plan."_

"_Yes…the Klaww Gang brought you here because they knew about your knowledge of the Cooper Gang."_

"_Then this means the entire thing is made of Clockwerk parts."_

"_Maybe that's how the Dimension Disrupter works, by obscuring key components in someone's mind."_

"_You both have similar energy signatures matching to only one being currently incapacitated. …The disassembled bird, Clockwerk."_

"_There is more than one kind of prison."_

"_Faye is a member of the Klaww Gang."_

"_You're a pitiful excuse for a thief."_

"_You can't help anyone. Not even yourself."_

"_I shall rule supreme and the Cooper Gang and Interpol shall fall."_

"_**Kill them."**_

The final voice was deep, metallic, and full of hatred and as soon as it was finished speaking, the rest of Faye's being fell to the ground. Just before her body hit the dirt, her vision darkened and everything went black. The sinister voice cackled and Yami screamed in defiance, yet the forest did not take notice of them and neither did the little panther and the weary turtle looking over the collapsed form of their companion.

_/Day two…/_

Faye was angry, although the reason evaded her. She faced Sly and the gang in their Safe House near Rajan's temple, her fists beside her.

"I thought wrong," she said, her hurt voice echoing.

"Faye -" began the raccoon, but Faye cut him off.

"Goodbye, Sly Cooper." She turned on her heel to the door, slamming it behind her as she left. She stomped off towards her left and hopped over the edge, landing on the mushroom and then the ground, safely in one piece.

"I try to warn him," she said to herself, "and how does he repay me? He says I'm a liar. Puh. That's life." Faye began to walk, though to where she did not know. All she knew was that she had to get up to a higher place. All the while she spoke silently to herself, "He accuses accusations; he thinks he can blame me. All because of Neyla who tries desperately to shame me." Her words gained a steady rhythm even though she knew not of where the words came from. "I've kept my temper down in front of that treacherous snake. Everything I've done, I've done it for their sake." In the teen's mind, she suddenly witnessed Natasha standing away from the others near the window. She said to herself as Josie leapt up on the sill,

"How did this come to be? My mentor and idol fighting. She runs off, he's in a huff-" A bolt of lightning came down from the heavens with a tremendous force. "Ack! I hate lightning!" Faye was viewing through her own eyes again.

"He thinks he's right, he thinks he's tough." Somehow Faye had made her way to a sloping vine and leapt onto it, water splashing off of it.

"Well this girl has had enough." Landing on ruins, she continued in a slightly different rhythm,

"I'll go off on my own; leave them all behind.

I'll find my own way home. I can very well use my mind." Another vine, this time leading up to the top of the skull Safe House. She made her way up the vine, still caroling to herself,

"I don't need Sly, that arrogant fool,

Or that Bentley and his unique tools.

I don't need Murray, always eating and snoring.

I'm almost insane; at least it's not boring." Arriving on the unknown remains, a grin creased her face, although it was more of a sneer as she kept her insane rhythm and words flooded from her lips,

"So let Neyla throw away the key!" She tossed her hand to the side and then knelt down,

"Let the Contessa turn their heads in threes!" She spun a trio of stones then rose to her feet and shouted,

"Let the cry of their defeat howl like the weather!

Cut loose the ties that bind them together!"

'Faye!' echoed Yami, but Faye did not cease her rabid rantings. She raised her arms to the thunderous heights above and chanted,

"Let the earth consume their flesh;

Let their bones be crushed and meshed!"

'Faye!' yelled Yami again, receiving only more of the same insanity.

"How glorious it will be when Clockwerk is revived!

And it doesn't take much effort to summarize:

The world as they know it will not survive!" Faye's hands became fists,

"It will be covered in darkness forever more

And Clockwerk's anger shall be the core." A dim, disturbing hue of red resonated as an aura around Faye,

"And then the Cooper Gang shall be no -"

_'Faye!'_ screeched Yami, finally gaining Faye's attention as she lowered her arms and covered her face with her hands. The scarlet color left and the damp and dank surroundings flashed repeatedly until something snapped, ripping the scene in two. As it faded from sight, Faye moaned and peered up to see Yami once again.

"Wha, what is it? What happened?" she asked with some exhaustion hanging on her voice.

"Do you realize what you were saying?" Faye shook her head, trying to recall what had occurred. She said,

"I zoned out after the first few verses…ending shortly after Natasha…and…it felt like something wanted to scream in anger at Sly." Faye peered up, recognizing the stern look Yami was giving her, as if she were worried about something. "…What…is it…?" Yami slowly inhaled, sighing as she steadied herself. She gulped and said carefully and solemnly,

"…It's…Clockwerk's energy. It...seems that...it has remained dormant in you...since the Dimension Disrupter brought you to this world...and it seems...that..." she gulped again, taking another breath of air and attempting to steel her nerves as she continued, "it temporarily emerged in you," Faye's jaw began to drop. "…and it most likely...accelerated the memory erasing process." The teen's eyes bulged to the size of saucers, beginning to well up.

"W-w-w-what are saying?" she stuttered, "I thought the Dimension Disrupter didn't work? How come I'm losing my memories! I can't even remember my parents. I can barely remember Trinity and now I can't remember what they look like." Faye slowed down, speaking a bit calmer, "And the more I try to remember my world, the more I realize I've forgotten. What's happening to me? _Why is this happening?_" She screeched out the last of her words, clutching her head with both hands. She breathed quickly, beginning to hyperventilate. Slowly, Yami spoke,

"…The memory erasure process part of the machine must have been delayed. I am unsure how Clock-"

"So, what, I'm going to forget everything?" Faye burst, anger evident in her voice.

"Don't say that -"

"Will I?" An awkward silence instantly filled the void. Yami turned away, gritting her teeth and thinking for several seconds before giving an answer derived of joy,

"It's…possible..."

"Then what will I do?" Faye wailed with despair. A thousand questions sped through her mind, but none stayed long enough to be registered as an inquiry. There was only the impression that an answer was needed and nothing more.

"Calm down!" Yami returned her attention to the utterly distressed teenager, moving her hands in a downward motion. "Do you think I like this any more than you do?" For once her tone was unsteady without her usual confidence. Faye, her lips now quivering, said shakily,

"So what do I do now?" Yami blinked.

"Well…" Yami paused for a moment, then said, "First you must regain your composure. Do not fill your mind with woe. You will accomplish nothing by remaining in such a stressed state." Faye almost immediately reacted in irritation,

"Don't tell me not to be stressed!"

"Fine," her older self said firmly, "But think of it this way: people usually have better luck thinking out situations when not under stress. And you are right, I cannot command you to halt your feelings. Emotions do not operate that way." She crossed her arms. "The best I can say is to try and think of what you can do." Faye opened her mouth to speak, yet Yami went on, "I know you wish to free Sly, Murray, and Rexus, but you must take the necessary steps. For instance, let's assume Jean Bison is close to finding the Safe House. If you wish to manipulate him and lead him astray, then you must decide what your options are. If you need to relocate, do so discreetly. If you need to distract him, then make a distraction large enough for him to leave the Safe House's area alone for awhile. If he's too close, then make him leave. It can be with a teammate acting as decoy or, if you are desperate, a Clockwerk part to lure him away. Now, I ask you, what are you protecting?"

Faye muttered a small 'huh,' not expecting a question when her mind was so full of confusion.

"Um," she began, trying to fight words through her jumbled mind and nearly choked-up throat, "the Safe House, but...it's our headquarters and place of operations." She sniffed, a companion that always came with teared up eyes. "We need it to plan our - I mean, their - heists."

"And...?" Yami tilted her head towards the other, wanting more of an answer. The younger of the two, still distraught, muttered,

"Um, I don't know."

"Think," Yami said gently, "what else does the Safe House serve as?"

_'It's just like they say in books and video games, I think. There's no time to cry when there are other things to do.'_ Faye let out a shaky breath of air, breathed in, and said,

"The Safe House..." A flash of a small memory fragment was pulled from the depths of her consciousness. Controller in hand, she was running from a guard in the game. It was close, so very close, but the Safe House was near. A push of a button and she was in, the dumbfounded vulture guard left to tilt its head in curiosity as to where the little irritating turtle had gone to. "...Lets us hide from the guards. It protects us." Then, the answer dawned on her, eyes brightening a little. "And that's what I protect! I'm protecting the Gang from being cap-tured..." The last of her sentence fell in tone. That was the current problem: she still needed to save Sly, Murray, and, of course, Rexus.

"One step at a time young one," said Yami. "One step at a time. Now," she uncrossed her arms, "the timer has truly begun. In order to save them all, beat the Klaww Gang, and get back home, you must -"

"Faye..." It was small and far, but both of them heard it; the little voice of innocence that would snap Faye back to reality at any moment. Yami turned her head to the left and peered into the darkness around them.

"We haven't much time." She turned back to the adolescent occupying the same space. "Faye, can you recall anything about what is suppose to occur?"

"Faye..." A bit louder this time.

"Quickly!" Faye was speechless for awhile, her eyes jerking back and forth, concentrating on the floor. Everything was just too fast for her and her mind was still buzzing from what she had just learned. Clockwerk, Clockwerk; the name making her eyes well up. Too long was the silence though; it was enough for that small voice to grow in volume, once again calling her name. It was like the ringing of a clock tower, signaling the end of her body's unconscious state. Yes, it was fully possible to communicate with Yami outside of her subconscious, but there was no telling just when they would be able connect and time was essential now than ever. Finally, just as Faye's name was being called for the fourth time, she looked up into Yami's eyes and said a bit quickly,

"Yami, can you remember some things for me?"

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Coming back to reality, Faye's vision had to yet return as her ears picked up mumbling that slowly became clearer as if the volume of the world was being turned up.

"...eeks. If she doesn't come out soon we'll have to take her to a hospital." Her eyes finally began to reveal themselves, the blurred image of the van's metallic ceiling coming into focus. Still, being as dark as it was, seeing was difficult with only a few dim lights to make things visible.

"Wait...I think she's awake," the young familiar voice piped up. A small groan escaped Faye's lips as she sat up, her hands planted on the ground for support.

"Ahh..." sighed a nasally tone in relief, "Thank goodness. ...We were barely able to get this far without being noticed. It would be near impossible to get to a hospital without being picked up on Interpol's radar." But Faye barely heard him. Her mind was still spinning as she lifted a hand and held her head.

"What's wrong?" questioned Natasha, tilting her cranium to one side as Josie stretched her body to relax. The teen could only mutter as her thoughts began to focus,

"It's time you guys knew." Turning from Bentley near the back of the driver's seat, Faye fumbled her hands in the near-darkness towards the van's back doors.

"Faye, what do you mean?" the turtle inquired as she opened the doors and scooted to the edge of the vehicle, letting herself out. She avoided the duo's gaze as she hung her head a bit. Taking a breath and slowly letting it out, she turned to face Natasha, now sitting on the van's back edge, and Bentley, standing beside her.

"I mean," she said, inhaling once more to steady herself, "...That it's time you guys knew the truth."

* * *

SQ: (looks through mail) Huh… Fanart for Sly as a Cooper. Go figure. (sees end of chapter) Oh, yeah. Cliffhanger! Gotcha! Ha ha ha! Now you _must_ read the next one! Mwahaha!

Faye: (looks at fanart) Whoa! Nice. I like being popular. :D

SQ: Alright, post-chapter author's notes. The whole "physical ability lies in precision, not swiftness" has been seen a few times in the past (there's a little more behind these reasons, but more on that later on). Examples would be (1) when Faye threw her crowbar in the Counterfeit Room and it came back to her (Sly's world seems to mimic some of the aspects of a cartoon world and it was something that happens in cartoons), (2) when she danced with Rajan (she had to follow every step exactly as she saw Neyla do) and, of course, (3) when she performed Cooper family thieving moves _without injuring herself_ (with thanks to Trinity). It has also been seen that Faye is quick to react (mental and physical responses together) like when she had to fight the brainwashed Rexus. Apparently Trinity has played an important part in Faye's life by improving her strengths. A side note here that is not known (I'd be surprised a bit if it was) is that Faye has played video games most of her life making her…not exactly athletic, unlike Trinity who is very athletic from years of training. I don't know why I'm telling this now since it might be mentioned at a later time. (To answer my own problem since I can…) Probably because it gives relevant information on Faye's prowess and why some of her actions may be a bit unbelievable at times. (Trinity's past is even more unbelievable, but more on that in the sequel.) I'll answer any questions that may arise regarding Faye's abilities and the training she received from Trinity (heck, any questions I'll answer if I can connect directly with the reviewer), but **only** if it does not spoil the plot for SaaC or SaaC 2. …I think I know how to do it too, but I will not say it here since I don't want to be in trouble at this site and get kicked off. (Whew…Sorry about that long note.)

Faye: (from under letters) There's a shirt in here!

Natasha: (looking at dictionary) Hey, did you know 'bungee' isn't in the dictionary? Weird…

SQ: It's from 1988. Of course it won't have it. Then again neither does this darned 'Word' program…

Faye: (muffled) This is awesome! Ooo, candy!

SQ: No candy; you'll turn into Anti-Faye! (reaches into pile of letters; pulls out bag of sweets)

Natasha: Huh… Oh well… (puts on DJ glasses) And now for the top hit of the week!

SQ: Please not-

Natasha: _"The Murray!"_ Give it up, ya'll!

SQ: (quickly) Until next time! (pulls Faye from under mail)

SQ, Faye, Natasha: May the light of the moon lead the way to the Master Thief!

Faye: Candy!


	21. Breaking Point

SQ: Heya there, SQ here to kick off the next chapter. Can't say I've got an excuse this time around. The chapter was just a pain to type aside from the other one-shot fanfics, and general original fiction I write. So -

Rexus: (coming from the curtain in the middle of the stage) (gasps) I…have been…in that maze…for _hours_! I...am _never_ (gasp) going back in!

SQ: Uh... Okay. As long as you're alive.

Natasha: Are you okay Rexus?

SQ: He will be.

Rexus: (walks off stage)

SQ: O-kay. Well, while we see to it that Rexy's okay -

Rexus: (from backstage) Hey!

SQ: - please enjoy the chapter. A very painful chapter indeed with little to no action _and_ the plot with the Cooper Gang doesn't budge (the latter I really dislike). This kinda takes off in the direction of "Let's get things stabilized before actually saving the Gang" other than "Save them right now." It took a long time to write this. It didn't want to be written. It wanted to be like chapter 22 or 23 and go save the Gang, but alas I triggered this and it had to be done. Such a headache... Oh, and **lots of dialogue ahead**. (Did I mention that?) Lots of explaining like the pangs Faye felt in chapter 19 and some explaining from Faye about her situation. Please excuse 'crosscuts' here and there since it was hard enough to type this in the A.M. hours to finally get this chapter out.

Natasha: ...Smashy? What's 'crosscut'?

SQ: Sadly, you'll see though I was able to fix most of them. Please don't hate me here folks. It was awkward writing this out in order to make sure it wasn't too long, monotonous, and that I actually got to a certain goal in this chapter: to try and shorten the considerable gap between Prague and the Indian jungle (failed a little, but at least things move next chapter). I think it was like 4,300 miles or so... Yeah. Doubt people wanted to read what happened every day, so the whole _/Day Blah, blah time/ _thing is being shooed away in this chapter. Enjoy...hopefully. ...Frickin' want Sly back. But **fear not**! We'll be in Prague come next chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the copyrights to Sly Cooper or anything from his world. Sucker Punch Productions owns Sly Cooper (and has done quite a great job with the Gang). This is a non-profit piece of fanfiction and the only things I own are (1) the idea for this fanfic, (2) my OCs, and (3) any spontaneous prose or poetry (as seen before).

_Chapter 21: Breaking Point_

Natasha's eyes widened and Bentley adjusted his glasses, both peering at Faye. Truth was information and information, depending on the importance of it, was something thieves and criminals alike kept to themselves. After all, it came down to transactions, careful planning, and staying alive surviving outside the law. Even if it was non-verbal, it was a well-know fact that anything worth keeping to oneself for an extended period of time was not to be taken lightly, even to those who were not involved in seedy business dealings. Either that, or there was a weight of embarrassment behind whatever knowledge that was being hidden.

"Faye," began the turtle, "if you're talking about the Museum back in Cairo, Sly already told us-"

"It's not that," the teen cut off, shaking her head in the dim moonlight. "There's something big going on," she slowed her words, "and you need to know about it." Faye shook her head and peered away from the brains of the Gang and Natasha sitting on the van's back edge. Her tone was much more serious than what the others had been accustomed to, and it seemed that she was not about to go back to 'fun-loving Faye' anytime soon. "But where to start?"

"Are you sure?" Natasha spoke up a bit meekly. Faye turned back from her gaze into the thicket of trees and nodded to the orphan.

"Yes," she said, a small quiver in her voice. "There's a lot going on and it has to be said now."

_'__Before things get even more out of hand.'_

"Then how about the beginning?" Natasha inquired with certainty. Faye let out a small 'heh' at that suggestion and went on,

"Yeah. That's best..." After a moment, she lifted her head, "But it's not that easy." She slumped to the ground, the muscles in her legs giving away. She sat with her legs crossed and her hands on her thighs, staring at the earth. "So much has happened...i-it's hard to pick just which beginning to choose from. ...It's...like..." Faye tilted her head up at the night sky, looking past the stars that scattered throughout the darkness as she tried to find a good enough equivalence to what she had gone through and what was currently happening in the world around them. Although no matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed good enough to compare to the situation at hand.

Chess, war, a video game; nothing was enough especially if she was lacking in knowledge on what was being offered to be even a small liken to the unraveled brutal truth. It seemed as if anything and everything that popped up couldn't, and wouldn't, fit. Like shoving a pumpkin into a blender, it was almost impossible and if it could be done, then it would just end up being a mess that no one wanted to clean up. And the comparison itself also had to make sense to Natasha...right? She already knew an extent of the problem, but did the young orphan need to know that the adolescent's existence in the anthropomorphic-dominate world somehow caused her mother's end? That the unwilling inter-dimensional traveler had somehow, in another reality – false or not – _aided_ in the extinction of the Cooper Gang and most of the world? That there was a fine line between the destruction of the world and the devastation of the Cooper Gang? No, she was too young, yet...

Wasn't Faye, herself, too young as well?

Too young to have seen the apocalypse, and at her own hands no less? Too young to know the secrets of the world? Not wise enough to know what to do with the knowledge she already had? How old would one have to be in order for the course of events set into place to be 'acceptable' or even 'plausible'? When was a 'False Reality' possible for that matter or...

A chorus of inquiries and surmises melted, barely able to stay above the mess of a sea of dizzying, squishy matter. Head throbbing, Faye's thoughts yearned to wander and could not stabilize for long on any one notion.

"It's alright," Bentley assured, shattering the concentration of the teen. She jerked her head upright into the reflective spectacles of the brains of the currently disassembled Gang. His tone was still rickety although he had somehow managed to suppress it considerably as compared to how he had been earlier as they left the spice temple. His jittery voice hung on the edges of the teenager's mind. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn the brainy guy had underwent quite a few heart attacks before they had even walked a full mile out of the flooded ruins. "Just calm down and clear your thoughts," Bentley proceeded, "From what Sly told me back in the jungle," he readjusted his glasses, "before you rescued Natasha, there's a lot more to the Klaww Gang than just shipping spice all over the world." Faye blinked.

_'__Just how much did they...?'_

"Huh? Oh. Yeah." Faye's vocals dulled for a moment before picking back up to a neutral tone. Somehow the genius had snapped her back from the whirlpool of her mind long enough for some rational words to spill from her lips. "He...he told you...told you about The Contessa didn't he? ...He listened in on my fight with Rexus and he was talking almost the entire way to the rendezvous to save Natasha." Most of the last sentence had been released as if it had been rehearsed; no meaning behind the fact, just a subconscious picture put into words. Slowly, the teen was able to somewhat compose herself physically, but not before shaking her head as a tidal wave of confusion crashed down upon her mind again, sinking just about every word that could have accompanied her brief sputter of concentration. Barely staying afloat, Bentley's voice rang again. As if lifting her by the arm out of the torrent just enough to keep her attention, he said,

"Look, we're pretty much all exhausted. We should all just get some sleep and talk about this later." Hidden relief flowed down Faye's spine, as if it was what she was wanting all along. A moment's reprieve to sort things out and get the right words out. Her brain was already beginning to plead for rest, ready to put the racing images and inquiries away at the first signal to quit for time being. The only problem was that she was at a loss for words. On the one hand there was the truth. On the other, there was sleep. Sweet, peaceful sleep...

Natasha covered her mouth at a yawn.

"But I'm not tired," she protested warily, "I want to hear what Faye has to say."

"I'm sure she's just as tired and worn out as us."

"Listen to Uncle Ben – Bentley."

_'__Why'd – Did I almost say Uncle Bender?'_

"Guess we all need some sleep..." 'Uncle Bentley' muttered as he sluggishly moved into the van's interior. "We can talk about this all in the morning. For now, let's just _try_ to get some shut-eye." He pulled some of the blankets in the back into a makeshift bed and lied them down next to some pillows against the wall. As he lied down himself, he pushed some blanket between him and the Clockwerk feathers, tied together with rope and propped against the side of the vehicle, as well as the half of the Clockwerk heart, wrapped in cloth. The wings themselves were tied to the top of the van, the tips of the inorganic appendages peering over the windshield like a miniature awning.

"Get to sleep Natasha," Faye murmured, "We'll go over this when we're up." The little panther sighed,

"Okay..." She crawled in next to Bentley with Josie and Faye staggered to her feet, mindlessly circling the van until she came to the driver side door. The back entrance was slamming, steel-to-steel, as she wearily pulled open the door in front of her. She climbed inside, shut the slab of metal, and laid down, a single overhead light making the shadows of the night temporarily shy away. Various murmurs of 'good night' were followed by the source of light being switched off.

"Night," Faye muttered, stretching out on the front seats, getting her pillow and blanket into place.

Despite having woken up less than half an hour prior to the settled colloquy, everything blurred and sleep was delivered easily.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Light and nasal snoring eased Faye into reality. Not the game where the player knew everything, where mistakes could be corrected, and every last detail was the same every time the console turned on. No, only harsh crippling reality that was just as her own with the minor inclusion of the disassembled Cooper Gang, the manic Klaww Gang, a power-hungry, backstabbing tigress, and a gigantic metal owl to top it all off.

Oh, and an orphaned panther which was somehow the adolescent's fault. And some creepy ape that came out of nowhere wanting a _Homo sapien _and canine to be guinea pigs.

The ease of waking from darkness was just a minuscule relief before actuality dropped everything back onto her shoulders, making her eyes droop. Sly and the others needed rescuing and the only ones who could do just that were who-knows-how-many miles away cramped in a van in the middle of an Indian jungle.

**Guuurrgle.**

_'__Great. Hungry, tired – at least Bentley is – and I'm due for a speech on truth...'_ The last words danced in her mind, somehow putting _Swan Lake_ to shame with clouds over every rational thought. It took some concentration, but Faye finally managed to make one command appear and pull it forth.

Get up.

_'__Then get dressed. No, eat. Get up, eat – no, wait for others to wake. Get up, wait, think, get speech, eat when they wake, get to nearest city...'_

Faye sniffed. It was then the stench hit her. The undesirable scent of wet fur, blood, perspiration, and the result of pure Indian jungle clinging to everyone in the vehicle invaded her nares. Worse, there was a sense of unease and panic in the air, not that it could be smelled. It was the sort of sense that one just knows is there. Through the waking sounds of India and the low reverberation of near repose from the other passengers, it was there, lingering until it was driven away.

**_"_**_**It took a week of sleepless data crunching..."**_

Faye pushed herself up, propping herself up with an arm on the headrest. Both Bentley and Natasha were still dozing, and Josie was nestled in the panther's covers, lying on her back.

_'__...but...'_ Faye thought slowly, _'I...eventually tracked down the location of my friends locked away in the mysterious towers of Prague.'_ She sighed, letting the escaping air flow out her nostrils. _'If I can remember that, then why can't I remember my parents? Or is it that my memories of the game were needed? At least certain ones...'_ She shook her head, allowing every sentence to cross her fogged up mind as if looking at the largest of print in a book with words filling up every nook and cranny. The words were there, but some were more prominent than others. Barely anything made sense outside what she dared to acknowledge. If she felt her mind about to take a plunge, she jerked it back up by concentrating on the last line of words, even the silliest of them.

Time was being wasted. She knew it. But what could she do? Neyla and the Gang with Carmelita and Rexus. They were near. They had to be. They couldn't be in Prague in one day. It was impossible...unless they had a teleporter or, more sensibly, a helicopter or some other birdie ready to fly everyone to the jailhouse and even then it was too far away to get there in a span of twenty-four hours.

'_The Contessa's there too. She's too fat to get on a plane. Ha ha. Too wide. Try again. Oh no? Too fat? Not obese, just fat. Lose some legs, you have too many and none of them are attractive.' _A small smile curved Faye's lips for a brief moment before sagging again. Scooting to the exit on the driver's side, the teen slipped out and shut the door, attempting to be as quiet as possible. At least outside the smell wasn't as powerful. For a moment, the teenager pondered over the dangers of being outside, but perhaps they were all presumed dead. Natasha was anyways, and who would expect a small turtle and a 'pitiful excuse for a thief' to live long enough to get out of the jungle alone?

The Cooper Gang. Maybe not The Contessa and Neyla, but the Cooper Gang would definitely believe Bentley could make it. A 'pitiful thief' wouldn't be able to trek through the grueling nightmare, then again, so far there was only one who claimed that such a person sided with the thievius raccoonus' band and the one proclaiming it all was quite the triple agent.

Faye strolled on ahead away from the team van, looking around at the clearing. The sun had risen and she could see that the area was smaller than first thought. Instead of a fairly wide area like a campsite, it seemed to be where some trees had been chopped down, the multiple rotting stumps proving that whoever had brought down the teaks was long gone. They were probably some ways off the main trail and at a perfect spot to rest for a little bit before carrying on. Although how Bentley managed to get the van into such a cramped space eluded her, she did know one thing: it was going to be hectic getting out. Foliage covered the ground and upon taking a few steps to the rear of the van, it seemed that the brains of the group had run over decomposed boughs, now crushed with dual groves where the tires had gone over. Faye turned from their entrance and back to where the rays of sun were spreading to.

Further on ahead from van seemed to be another treeless patch, just not as large and in direct line of the sunrise behind the teenager. There was a steep cliff, gradually setting off a creeping remembrance of the smells from before the Gang's trek to Rajan's spice temple, refilling her senses for a moment. She eased into the second parcel of land and things seemed to quiet for a while. Even the birds seemed to have silenced with every other type of fauna up and about in the break of day. Overlooking the dense forest below and the stream of lazuline, Faye's shoulders rose and tensed at a small groan echoing around her. She peered around, finding no one there and instead was greeted with a quieter groan than last. It was then she noticed that it wasn't coming from around her, but inside her mind. It would have been a lot more disturbing if she didn't have an inkling of what was going on and this had been the first time she had heard that tone. It was familiar, but it was...just so worn.

_'__Um...you okay?'_ the adolescent inquired mentally. There was a heavy sigh.

_"__Yeah. Just needed some...nevermind."_

_'__Yami...' _The one in question paused before becoming respondent,

_"__...You won't stop bothering until I inform you, is that it?"_

_'__Just curious...especially if it has to do with me. I like to be informed of what's happening with my own mind, after all.'_ Again, there was a sigh, a little lighter yet still exasperated.

_"__You won't be pleased.."_

_'__Since when have I been pleased about anything dealing with the Dimension Disrupter and the Klaww Gang? Well, you know, besides meeting Sly and his friends.'_

Silence. There was no word as Faye stood in her desolate spot, the chilled air throwing pins into her face. Yami seemed to have taken a shaky breath and spoke quietly and nearly as firmly as she had done on previous occasions,

_"__It seems...that somehow...the Clockwerk parts affect you."_

_'__Like how? Besides the memory erasing thing.'_ Faye huddled her arms, hands on opposite forearms as she continued to stare off at the multicolored sky of orange, violet, red, and a few others she didn't bother to name.

_"__You see... It's like this: Remember when you got the Clockwerk Tail Feathers?"_

_'__Yeah.'_ Yami's tone strengthened a tad, yet was still quiet.

_"__How did you feel?"_

_'__Fine.'_

_"__And when you got the Wings?"_ The elder of the two was getting at something, Faye could feel it.

_"__Some...weird vibe while traveling to Rajan's spice temple..."_

_"__And when Rajan's half of the Clockwerk Heart pulsed and held a visible crimson radiation?"_ Faye paused and it took a few seconds for her to blink.

Screaming, alien convulsions tearing at her heart and stomach. Sly, the ever arrogant one, unconscious. Savagery in Rajan's voice. A pang in her stomach. Murray fighting Rajan. Tussling with Neyla. Getting the antidote. Escaping to Bentley. Failure.

Faye shuddered and pushed down the acid rising in her throat.

_'__So... I was sick. It was the poison wasn't it?'_ Faye could just envision Yami shaking her head as the other replied in a slightly off tone bordering on calm,

_"__I honestly do not know, but do you recall when the feeling disappeared?"_ Faye sighed as she mentally backtracked through the twisting failure Fate had dealt. Trudging through the mayhem, the teen merely shook her head.

_'__I can't remember...'_

_"__Was it after Rajan had lost to Murray?"_ She couldn't acknowledge it, the thing she knew that was slithering into the horrid truth she had to deal with, even unknowingly, since day one in Cairo. Letting out a deep breath of air she steadied her nerves.

_'__I...I think so.'_

_"__Yes. And now, do you recall when you lost contact with me?"_ Diving back into the incident, further back than the Heart's glow. Back when she had – no, thought she had – the chance to fix things. Running through the temple's corridors, the reality of it all caving in, and bashing the front doors open.

_'__It was...'_ Faye slightly trembled and gulped physically, _'just before the fight with Rajan...'_

_"__Right before he began summoning the power... I think you know by now..." _

_'__I... It... Oh...'_ Faye tilted her head to the earth, not bothering to ignore what was now obvious. _'The parts are reacting to...Clockwerk's energy...still trapped inside me...'_

_"__Yes... But I can give you two pieces of information on this."_ Faye barely nodded as Yami went on, _"The first is that, while the Tail Feathers and Wings had no power, they still had Clockwerk's energy surging through them constantly in the past, the Wings having more of the power left over from being used more often than not to...you understand."_ A small nod confirmed her to keep going. _"That said, the power was dormant and the Wings and Feathers only began to barely register their owner's energy signature when you began concentrating on them, however..."_ Faye merely blinked and gulped, keeping the rising liquid from furthering it's path up her esophagus._ "The Clockwerk Heart relates to the second piece of information -"_

_'__- It reacts more strongly to me -'_ Faye interjected, rubbing her right thumb and index digits together. A brief pause and Yami continued, her voice quieting and slowing,

_"__- and therefore, like the Stomach or Lungs, it will affect you more and more..."_

Unnerving silence yet again. A taboo of sorts seemed to have been reached, although it was more of an immense, unseen barrier that would shatter when breached, opening the way to the truth. A truth that, whether one liked it or not, was just as ugly as being ignorant about the whole of it. The strain of the barrier cracking presented itself as Faye easily found, and handed out, her obvious inquiry,

_'__...Until when, Yami?'_ She tightened her fists, steadying her breathing. Yami's voice destroyed the unseen wall a moment after,

_"__...Until...your psyche...breaks – but don't worry! I've been keeping the parts from affecting you too much. If you notice, you may have felt better when stepping away from the Cooper getaway vehicle."_ Faye's throat burned again and her body shook. Yami spoke quickly, any previous quaver in her voice barely traceable, _"You won't always be near the Clockwerk parts. Remember that. As well, for as long as I am here, I assure you, I will do what I am able to in order to prevent Clockwerk's power from affecting you. You may feel dizzy at times or have ailments that disappear after wandering away from them, but I will ward them off when you are near them."_ Gulping, Faye sighed heavily,

_'__I won't let my psyche break. If I can just stay away from them long enough, maybe find another way of – ...It's going to be hard, isn't it?'_

_"__Anything worth having usually is."_

_'__I think my psyche is pretty important.'_

_"__Ah, now where did that sarcasm come from?" _The teenager could just imagine Yami with a sad smile on her face at that point.

_'__It's fact.'_

_"__You mean 'it's a fact,' right?"_

_'__Doesn't matter. Right now we have to get to the Gang -'_

_"__I would like you to cease and desist that train of thought for a moment,"_ intercepted Yami, _"I have several points for you to take notice."_

_'__Will I win anything?'_

_"__Perhaps. Just listen."_ Faye nodded and awaited Yami to continue. _"First point, recognize that no matter what, you cannot arrive in Prague quickly and neither can The Contessa. There are detours, rest stops...well, detours at the very least. It will take days, possibly close to, or over, a week for the Gang, Carmelita, and Rexus to arrive at the prison."_

_"__But -"_

_"__That said, there is nothing you can achieve until you, Bentley, and Natasha reach Prague. You may fret and be anxious all you would like about the current situation, but no matter what, until you are in proximity to them you cannot rescue them. Understand?"_ Faye hesitantly nodded her head and shivered a bit. _"I understand you are cold, but please wait just a little bit longer."_

_'__Sorry. You're tired aren't you?'_ A silk veil beyond the wall, already being torn. Shredded to pieces by then with only actuality in sight while watching and hanging back from it.

_"__The important thing right now is to make sure you are aware of the situation as well as what you can and cannot do. You are unable to reach out and rescue the ones who have been captured quickly, but you may be able to reach out to others and help them." _A tinge of light beyond what had been rented.

_'__Huh? What...?'_

_"__My second point. You are not the only one suffering. Others are in need of assistance, even if it is only a small comfort."_ Strike that, twin tinges blurred as one.

_'Bentley...and...Natasha...'_

_"See the trouble and find a solution, even a small one."_

_'__And...a...dapt.'_

_"__Hmm?"_

_'__I...can try to...adapt to this. I'm not sure what I can do, but I can at least adapt to what's going on. Maybe...I can help – I dunno – cook dinner or something.'_

_"__There you go. Even something as small as that can be enough."_

_'__Still...'_

_"__Hm?"_

_'__I wonder...'_ Interposing the juvenile's thoughts, the tension in the atmosphere heightened, rumbling and rippling around her. Like the unnerving calm before a storm, it was as comfortless as one being informed about an impending ambush.

Quite abruptly, it was, in totality, too much. The light was too bright, reality was back, and the ceiling was crumbling, yet something was holding it up, nothing physical but it was there. The light narrowed and intensified.

And a deep voice wordlessly resonated.

Yami shrieked. The room rumbled. Mumblings were there, far away but there. They intensified, the deep voice cackling.

**"Give up."**

Faye outwardly shuddered. It was back; it had returned yet only barely. Quietly it backed away, it's voice everywhere.

**"****...let...her...ive." "...he sh...ld...ie...ot...ill."**

Her orbs welled, something foreign yet familiar rising.

**"****She failed. She...s nothing. ...e's worthless!"**

The columns supporting the room cracked. Reality was oozing into the room. Tears gushed out in large drops, only a pair as the room began to become submerged. Something was trying to force it back, struggling to keep the place stable.

_'__Y...Yami?'_ she questioned quietly. Out loud she continued, "I want to go home."

_"__Faye..."_

_'__I want to go home!'_ The room broke out in cracks and soon smashed apart. Tears streamed down her cheeks, no end in sight.

She sat, her arms holding her knees to her forehead.

_"__I'm sorry..."_ echoed Yami, her voice fading until it was no more.

Minutes creaked by and still she did not move, audibly weeping in her place until the sun drew higher, the rivers ran dry, and a small voice from behind called her name.

_/Day 2, dusk.../_

The van was in silence save for the hum of the engine and screech of gears every now and then. The trio was starving, tired, and none too fragrant. Out of them all, Faye was the filthiest with caked up mud in her costume's fur.

Natasha smelt of spice and Bentley of fear, true fear that radiated even while he seemed to have his mind on other matters. One could just feel it by looking at him that he was going to crack. At least until he glimpsed at the two females then he seemed to settle a bit. Other times though he would seem more panicked. It was difficult to pinpont when he was more worried on the missing part of the Gang or the fact that his actions could cause someone to acquire a concussion.

It was wiser to choose the former more often than not.

As he focused on the most pressing issue at the moment – driving to the nearest piece of civilization – Natasha was wrapped up in stroking Josie's fur for quite a lengthy period of time. So much so that the cat was clawing her way to freedom. She soon leapt away into the back of the van and proceeded to lick herself clean. Natasha stared at Josie, pouting.

"Josie..." she sighed, leaning against Faye's back, said teen's front facing the passenger side window. Her eyes were glazed now and then as she sat there, not peering at anything in particular as the vehicle jumped along the beaten path. Cheek resting on a fist, she barely even blinked as the sun's light began to dwindle. What more was there to do? Bentley was in control, they couldn't rescue the Gang, and her suit was just about at the end of it's usefulness.

"...I have to go to the bathroom," muttered Natasha, curling inwards a bit. The teen's vision blurred. "...Bad," the panther added quietly. Faye sighed barely above a whisper and stated,

"Pull over Bentley." There was no enthusiasm, no personality, and no emotion in her low, softened tone. Eventually the vehicle jolted to a stop and Natasha climbed into the back, exiting out the rear doors. Bentley tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and followed suit out the same way, calling out a warning. At least it sounded like a warning. The dimensional traveler remained in her position, blinking and allowing her lids to lower. It wasn't until the sun was gone and a mass shifted against her back did she notice that they were off again.

The lying, the backstabbing, being used by the Klaww Gang, and being helpless when it mattered the most. Then there was Vermon Venery who held fortune above the welfare of a little girl. The lowlife who was unfit for being called an Inspector was working with the Klaww Gang, meaning he would have to be dealt with at some point. Just where in the world was he? Was he working directly with the Klaww Gang or was he in the background keeping up appearances at Interpol? He had 'connections' but was he working directly with the crew or was he just hiding in the shadows? And above all, what would happen to Natasha when it was all over?

Faye glided her eyes to her left, noting that the panther hadn't moved yet. Blinking a few times, the teenager broke the silence.

"Nata-" she cleared her throat, Bentley casting a quick glance in her direction. The kid leaned away from Faye as she turned to relax in her seat. "Natasha," she gulped, "About your stepfather. I was thinking...when this is all over, we should go get him." The orphan stared up at her as she muttered, "Jail." Natasha tilted her head. "He should go to jail. He deserves it." Faye peered up and looked at the other, making eye contact to emphasize that she was being serious. "Alright?"

Quite abruptly, Natasha broke out into tears and wrapped her arms around the teenager. Faye's breath caught in her throat, her arms stiffening as she started to make sense of the situation.

_'__She...needs...me?'_ She hugged Natasha back as the little panther held on tightly, time being lost as comfort was given and received from both sides. It would be okay, wouldn't it? It couldn't get much worse. Even if it did, there was always a chance things could be set right. Things were bad, but it would get better, wouldn't it? As long as they stayed together with the Cooper Gang everything would be alright. Murray and Sly would be back then Rexus would be rescued too. Sly would rally all of them to go get Carmelita and things would be okay for a while. It wouldn't be easy - nothing ever was - but one step at a time, things would be alright.

It would all work out.

Comforting words, a small dinner of some rations regardless of a lack of appetite, and the trio caught some shut-eye. When Faye awoke, she found that the van was parked outside a small building in the pre-dawn haze and Bentley was no where in sight. When he got back, he informed her that he had obtained some goods, but he wouldn't say from who or where.

Within several hours, all three had eaten a little, the van was refueled with a gas tank that Faye didn't remember seeing in the back, and they were situated at a new safe house in New Delhi. Whenever she asked, Bentley steered the conversation away from where he had procured the food and canister. Faye easily gave up, not really wanting to prod anymore after the turtle had nearly strained his vocal chords in telling the teenager politely that some things were better off not questioned in the world of thievery.

Oh how well she knew that rule.

Although it was a relief to be in familiar territory, the brains of the three was getting worked up over another matter. It seemed that a clear route to Prague was too much to ask for. As Bentley pointed out, he was wanted more than ever because of Neyla's actions. Natasha was still technically dead and word had yet to get out that Faye was with the Cooper Gang.

_'__Probably the Klaww Gang wanting to keep a low profile on a human of all things running about.'_

Faye received no answer. It was getting to be troubling because Yami hadn't said a single word for almost the whole week. Whatever the war-worn spirit was doing was anyone's guess. Maybe she was trying to answer why and how a ghost managed to transcend dimensions, but if the older of the two had discovered anything she wasn't divulging yet.

However, the situation concerning Faye's mental stability, on the other hand, was also called into question. Ever since the feeling of something breaking had occurred it seemed like the link to the False Reality had been severed. The teen had no idea how unnerving it could be to speak in her mind and not get an answer.

Granted, saying that concern aloud would have her sanity evaluated. Possibly by a hypnotherapist.

As it was, the rest of the day progressed with Bentley coming up with a more solid plan of stealth, Natasha often petting Josie as she watched the local news channel for any sign of the Gang, and Faye huddling up on a bed in one of the rooms as she tried to steady her nerves. The sun was still bright as ever when the little panther's voice broke the silence.

"Faye? Do you think we'll see Sly and Murray again?" Faye turned her head a bit to the side, not that it did any good when facing the wall, and slowly pushed herself up. She looked at the panther out of the corner of her eye, murmuring,

"I...think so. We just have to keep going. We'll reach them eventually." Natasha stiffly nodded and after a moment left the room probably to continue watching the news, regardless of the fact that she probably couldn't make out what they were saying. Since she was already up, Faye went ahead and dragged herself to the bathroom, clutching some folded clothes that had been at the edge of her bed. She locked the door and stared into the mirror above the sink.

The girl gazing back was a mess. Mud was still caked up in her hair, her eyes had a slight tint of pink around them, and considering that she was still wearing her cat costume, she looked like some ragamuffin who had just walked through a natural disaster.

_"__Faye..."_

"Yami?" she asked aloud, her eyes slightly widening at the familiar voice even as distant as it was.

_"__I had to recuperate for a while,"_ the older one replied,_ "I apologize for leaving you alone."_

_'__I-it's fine. How are you?'_ Faye's heartbeat slowed a bit and she tried to even out her breathing.

_"__Not much better off than you. Now, have you told them about...the truth?"_

_'__No, not yet. I will though."_

_"__Alright. Do you think you'll be able to tell them soon?"_ Faye's breath hitch for a few seconds.

_'__W-what? Oh. Yeah. I guess.'_

_"__Just relax. Go clean up and I'll help as much as I can while you tell them. Besides, Bentley could help tell the rest of the Gang about this."_

_'__Okay.'_ And for the moment, the matter was left at that.

It was probably an hour and a half later when Faye emerged from the restroom, looking as human as ever. She had donned a pair of brown cargo pants and her old 'A thief's life for me' shirt, ditching the cat costume for the time being. Her hair had been scrubbed back to a light blonde sheen, no longer resembling the mess it had been for the past week. She ambled into the simply-furnished living room-kitchen combination, the only things in the room being a couch, a several tables, a television, and everything required for a kitchen behind the sofa. She halted in mid-step as it dawned on her to get the Dimension Disrupter schematics.

"Natasha?" she inquired softly. When the one in question turned to her, the adolescent smiled a bit. "Would you go get...what I left in my laptop?" It was a few seconds before Natasha's face lit up with recognition.

"Are you sure?" Faye merely bobbed her head in confirmation and the little panther ran off into another room of the safe house, the poor kitten lying peacefully on the couch leaping off at the sudden movement. The pet darted over to the kitchen and hopped up on the counter. Sidestepping the kid, Faye peered up at Bentley, tirelessly typing away for one reason or another.

"Bentley," she said, still trying to steel the rest of her nerves.

"Uh-huh." It was like he was in his own little zone, but knowing the brainiac he could probably multitask between doing whatever he was doing and listening to the cat impersonator. Natasha came strolling back in, handing a folded piece of paper to Faye. She bounced on the heels of her feet, standing next to her 'idol.'

The teen pursed her lips together and licked them. Her next moves had to be just right or she'd look like a lunatic.

_"__Relax,"_ Yami echoed, _"You know what's happened. All you need to do is give out the relevant information. Just don't tell them this is all a video game. It's evident that this place is identical to your world, so perhaps...ah screw it. Just keep to the idea of parallel dimensions and that somehow someone from your world found out about this place."_

"What is it?" A nasally voice snapped Faye out of her daze. As if things weren't weird enough, Yami had to go and revert back to unrefined, teenage lingo. Though the other-worldly guest had other matters to attend to. She sauntered over to Bentley and handed out the parchment.

"Here," she said, watching as he took the paper and unfolded it. Faye could feel her heart thumping against her chest. It was possibly the most terrifying moment of her short life as the turtle's face was swept over with nothing short of horror and surprise.

"What...what is this?" he sputtered, his head darting here and there as he went over the dreaded plans.

"The Dimension Disrupter. It's..." Wait, what should she say next? Ah, right. Relevance. "...designed to transport people from one world to another."

"Where did you get this?" Bentley inquired, continuing to pour over the blueprints. Considering that the entire machine was made from Clockwerk parts, it must have been unnerving to know what else the bird's body could be used for.

"Rajan's palace. ...Remember when I fell off the waterfall?" And yet she still had no idea how she survived. 'The Wizard' moved his head up and down,

"Yes..." Faye took that as her cue to keep going.

"Well...on my way back I passed through a room. It looked like it was used for meetings and...well... I sorta found it lying on the table." Natasha shifted her weight from foot to foot, keeping her head lowered. As he went over the finer details, his head not about to snap off his shoulders anytime soon, Bentley muttered,

"This...this is...horrible! Just what were they... This is inconceivable!" Faye gulped,

"Yeah. Apparently..." She took in a deep breath. This was it. "This is how I got here." The usually rational one of the group glanced at Faye then at the schematics several times.

"You...are from another world?" he asked, an edge of disbelief in each word.

_"__Remember the voodoo part," _Yami reminded the teenager.

_'__Thanks.'_

"Is it that much harder to believe than voodoo?" Faye said aloud, shrugging as she did.

"Yes..." Bentley answered, "Quite a bit actually."

'_Of course it would be.'_

"Right," Faye said as she grimaced a tad. Although how voodoo trumped science was anyone's guess.

"But it's true! It has to be," Natasha insisted, adding in her two cents. "Humans died out a long time ago, right? How else could she be here?"

"Statically speaking, the odds of another world of humans existing is less probable than an underground clan of humans living right under the nose of science for the past three hundred or so years." For as long as Faye had known the brains of the outfit, it was still amazing when he said something that sounded like it was memorized.

"But she knew about Neyla, and I bet...um..." The panther turned to Faye. "How did you know about Neyla again?" The dimensional traveler raised an eyebrow.

"Aside from wanting to kill me?"

"Oh, yeah." Faye sighed.

"Please stop reading my journal entries," she told the young feline. It was hard enough to keep things under semi-control without an invasion of privacy.

"I'm sorry." Natasha shuffled her feet, looking like someone had kicked a puppy - er, kitten in front of her.

_"__Topic relevance. Get down to brass tacks."_ Great. Yami was taking a page out of 'The Wizard's' book. It occurred to the adolescent that something else snapped when she had her breakdown. There was no telling how far her other self was going to degenerate in speech before the journey ended.

"Okay. Natasha, would you please mute the TV?" The child nodded and silenced the television with the remote, sitting down beside Faye as both settled on the couch. The teen began again, "Okay... I know this sounds impossible, but I need you guys to...humor me here. Just for a little bit. Otherwise none of this is going to make sense. Heck, it doesn't even make sense to me now." Bentley took one last look at the blueprints before directing his attention to the suddenly over-burdening human.

"If by 'humoring' you mean 'temporarily accept that you are indeed from another world brought here by this...Dimension Disrupter'...then yes, I believe I can do that." Faye breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," she murmured. It was the sole reason she had gone to Bentley first: he was more likely to take a hypothetical situation seriously for a moment. The whole idea of the Dimension Disrupter would have gone right over Murray's head, Sly wouldn't have listened to reason when it was something that seemed highly unlikely, and Carmelita would have handed her over to a specialist for the girl's psyche. Of all the routes she could have taken, talking to the mastermind of technology was her safest bet.

If only he would accept the situation...

"I can do that, too," Natasha chimed in, pulling her legs in and holding them close to herself. One step of the process was down, only about ten more painful ones were left to take.

_"__Start at the beginning. From before you met the Cooper Gang. It should be easier if you take it just a step at a time, explaining how you learned of certain things." _

Taking the time for a deep breath before the plunge, Faye began.

"It started out like any other day. It always does, doesn't it? ...I just got done playing a game. I had finished it after two weeks of it's release. ...I was happy. It was Saturday...so I guess that helped a bit...for what happened a little after that. ...My parents got into a fight, so I left." Faye clutched her knees as she stared at the floor, trying to bring up missing memories. When they refused to surface, she went on, "I left for a friend's house, bringing the game along with me. We talked, played, and I eventually fell asleep." She raised her head to peer at Bentley, trying to look through his spectacles to find his eyes and make direct contact. "When I woke up, I was on the floor of a museum."

"The Natural History Museum in Cairo," Bentley supplied in wonder. Faye nodded.

"Somehow the Klaww Gang transported me from my world to this world. Not to mention that they somehow transported me halfway across the world. ...Still not sure on that." She raised an eyebrow to emphasize her point.

"That's...that's fiendish!" the genius yelled, clutching the blueprints pretty tight in one hand, "...But why would they want someone from another world completely?"

"I don't - oh, wait. Yes, I do," Faye said, correcting herself mid-sentence.

_"__Careful now..."_

Of course she had to be careful. The entire point of being captured, the only reason she was there in the first place, and the cause of the whole fiasco was on the edge of her consciousness.

**_"_**_**We were supposed to make her join us and kill that infuriating Cooper, hippopotamus, and turtle.**__**"**_

It was enough to make her stomach upset at the very least.

When the teen spoke again, a lump had formed in her throat. She began to rub her thumb and index finger together.

"The reason goes back to the game. It was a sequel. The first game was called..." She had to say it in one go. Just like with a band-aid, the faster it was over with the better. The girl took in a deep breath, shutting her eyes tight. "_Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus_." Realizing she hadn't looked Bentley in the eye again, she did so just as she did the time before and repeated the title that started it all.

"Really?" Natasha asked, not sounding very convinced. "Did it deal with the Fiendish Five?"

"And some other details," she mumbled. An image of Inspector Fox beating on the sides of a glass tube kept replaying in front of her.

**_"_**_**Three down."**_

**_"_**_**And one to incarcerate."**_

She was doomed by association to Sly to be captured. She wasn't at fault for anything other than relentlessly hounding the thief and even then she was still within the safe confines of the law.

Even if the chase wasn't healthy or on borderline obsession.

"...Carmelita," Faye proceeded without much delay, "The gas chamber. What was the name of the volcano again?"

"The Krack-Karov Volcano," the panther said with a grin. Bentley put the diagram on the table beside him and flailed his arms for a moment in an outburst.

"But that's impossible! The details of the incident with Clockwerk were confined to only the highest ranking officers at Interpol, and not that many know about the gas chamber trap. Natasha could have found out from her stepfather's Interpol files, but how did people from your world find out about that?" Faye sighed and rubbed her forehead with her right hand, letting the elbow sit on the armrest.

"I have no idea."

_"__Parallel dimensions. Repeat everything I say."_

"I suppose it has to do with parallel dimensions," Faye stated, acting like a parrot for Yami. "Somehow, someone from my world found out about this world and made a video game out of it." Bentley held a hand to his chin. Whether he was doing his definition of 'humoring' or actually taking things seriously was anyone's guess.

"Still..." he muttered, ceasing in speaking as he shifted his gaze to the floor. One could actually see the gears turning in his head as his eyebrows moved up and down. Faye shook her head, saying,

"Look, I don't know the specifics. Most of this stuff is going over my head. All I know is that a game was made and it was based off of the Cooper Gang going after the Fiendish Five to retrieve the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus." The computer whiz brought his gaze back up to 'Faytin,' the near-soundless atmosphere further convincing the girl that Bentley's eyes were boring into her own.

"You said there was a sequel," he uttered, his voice trembling, "What was the name?" Though the lump in her throat was beginning to burn, Faye didn't hesitate in looking Bentley square in the eye. Just a few more steps and things would either come together or be unraveled into a humongous mess. Taking a silent breath of air through her nose, she simply stated,

"_Sly 2: Band of Thieves_." At least it wasn't very descriptive. Then again, that was probably a curse.

"What was it about?" Natasha requested, bringing about the sole reason why the title was a curse in the first place: there was no telling what it was truly about. Again the lump burned, as though it would erode the skin before settling to a dull ache.

_"__We knew this was inevitable,"_ the older version of the tormented girl commented, _"Let them guess. Remember the plan you relayed to Bentley when you were in Rajan's temple?"_

What Yami had mentioned was the stuff of nightmares, but she had a point.

"I..." Faye gulped and tried speaking again, "Remember when I said to rip-off the ruby then blow the dam?" When there was no audible response she pressed on, trying to swallow the seemingly stubborn compact mass, "It was part of the game..." Even as softly as she had let the words escape, Natasha gasped and Bentley straightened up after a second of hearing it. His brows raised a tad and he opened his mouth to speak, but the panther cut him off in a shout,

"Was I in the game? Was Vermon? Was...my mom?" Faye turned to the youngster clinging onto her forearms and probably unknowingly sinking her claws into the flesh. The last of her question had died on a half-hopeful, half-worried note. The pain building from Natasha's clutches went ignored as Faye stared into the round, waiting eyes of the supposedly dead step-child.

"I'm sorry," the adolescent responded quietly, "None of you were in it. It just focused on the Gang." All at once the kid's grip slackened and her sliver of faith fell.

"What kind of game leaves out NPCs? What kind of game leaves out Interpol, but includes the Klaww Gang? What kind of game _doesn't include my mom_?" The enquiry immediately ended as her voice cracked. The little one got to her feet and ran out of the room, loudly sobbing the entirely time. Her buildup of emotion was punctuated by the slam of a door, almost completely muting the cries of a distraught child. Bentley and Faye were left to stare at the only bedroom door in the small safe house. They sat in silence, Faye's mouth opening and closing as if searching for something to go and say though nothing was spoken and Bentley was in his 'intense thinking mode,' obviously not used to being in this type of situation. The only break was when Yami whispered in that far-away voice again,

_"__Break the tension. You may not be able to help Natasha right away, but this can at least be wrapped up...for her sake. She doesn't need this, even if she decides to return."_

"Let's get this over with," Faye said softly, tilting her head to where Natasha disappeared to for a few seconds. "This is isn't a game." Hesitantly, she shifted her gaze back to the only other occupant in the room. He cleared his throat and asked as evenly as possible though his tone was still a bit shaky,

"So...that sequel was based around the Klaww Gang?" Faye solemnly nodded and he turned his head side-to-side. "That can't be. We haven't even collected all the Clockwerk parts yet!"

"I know," Faye said, her vocals suddenly making her sound airy and weak, "but that's how it is."

_"__Yet according to what you've told me, it's still wrong."_

"But things are so wrong!" Faye blurted out through her cracking voice, grateful for the prod to get the talking over with. "Rexus is in prison, the Klaww Gang's trying to kill you, me, and Natasha, and...even that monkey at Rajan's temple was wrong. I don't know who he is but he freaked me the heck out and I don't think he was supposed to be there in the first place." Faye finally coughed to clear out her throat, the burning gone but the mass still there. It was just the tip of the sunken ship, but they were the main differences that stood out the most between the destroyed vessel some leagues away, the damaged one above water, and the third watercraft that was currently struggling to keep up with the latter. It was a mess and a half and no one would ever notice.

"Faye?" Bentley snapped Faye out of her metaphor. "What year did the game come out?" She blinked and automatically returned,

"Which one?"

"The second one." Weird question, but not one she couldn't answer.

"Two thousand four. Why?" The turtle's expression was unreadable beyond 'holy shmolee' as the gears turned faster. He mumbled,

"It's..." Faye allowed a minor 'Hmm' to escape as Bentley continued. "Unbelievable! ...Faye, did you ever check the date on your laptop?" Talk about random. Just what was he getting at?

"Um, no. Why?"

"It's nineteen ninety-nine," finished Bentley. "...That machine, the Dimension Disrupter, pulled you through time! ...That's just not possible." If it wasn't for the fact that it had already collapsed once, Faye's brain would have broke right then and there. Time travel? That was another function? How much could the obsessed avian's body do? Print money, bring prestige, run a spice growing farm, chop down trees, run trains, and hypnotize people. And that was aside from their original purposes.

How the heck did the ancient bird get built before modern times anyways?

"Then how am I here?" the teenager asked, " ...If it's so impossible, then how come I'm here?" Bentley merely massaged his chin at that.

"I'm...not sure. ..I'll contemplate on it later. I need more time to think this situation through, but right now the Gang comes first." Faye bobbed her head once.

"I understand."

"Thank you," he said and he was back to his laptop, taking a moment to fold up the blueprints and place them in his massive bag near his dangling feet. There wasn't much for the fuzzy-minded human but to see how the third member of the group was doing. She pushed herself up and approached the bedroom door cautiously. She raised a hand, knocking gently.

"Natasha?" she started, but she was greeted with a frustrated screech,

"Go _away_!" A dull _thump_ from the other side of the door followed suit. "I_ hate_ you!" The weeping wouldn't stop and there was no use in calming down a reasonably upset orphan. Faye lowered her arms and turned back to the couch, sitting in the side closest to the bedroom. She placed her elbows on her knees and folded her hands, resting her chin on them.

With nothing else to do, the duo allowed the absence of sound to resume interrupted only by the click-clacking of the keyboard.

* * *

SQ: Ah, sorry if it seemed like I cheated you guys out of an ending. The sooner this got over with, the sooner I could start on the next chapter...in Prague! So, now that one of the more painful chapters is done, it's time for the post-chapter notes.

Note one: When Yami and Faye talked, yes the conversation veered off track with sarcasm and a fragmented sentence (also known as slang). This is because they were trying to keep Faye from falling apart from the stress. If you've noticed, Faye hasn't used sarcasm very much (if at all) in the past. This is her way of keeping her mind from drowning in fear, anxiety, etc. It also seems that Yami remembered that a little and played on that tact to keep the younger of the two stable.

Note two: "Why didn't Bentley ask Faye more about 'truth' the next morning like he was supposed to?" Faye broke. It's as simple as that. Bentley had enough sense and honor not to bring up whatever info Ven was hiding because she was emotionally distraught. Like stated at the beginning, information is vital living outside the law. Bentley knew what Faye had to say dealt with the Klaww Gang, something about what they're doing... Whatever it was that she had to say, it would be best for Faye to be in a better mental state before bringing it up again. For all he knew, it could have been that 'truth' combined with Sly and Murray's absence that triggered her collapse in mentality. He wasn't about to launch it again so soon.

Note three: I capitalize "Safe House" just because they constantly do in Sly 2 (not in Sly 3 though). Trying not to deviate from the original spelling...except when I see a grammatical error. I should stop capitalizing "Safe House" now since there was a line or two in Episode 4 where is was all lower case. Go figure.

Note four: "Does Bentley know that The Contessa is a Klaww Gang member?" Yes he does. He said earlier that she was going to 'murder a poor kid just to spread the effects of your spice' so he must know. "When did he find out?" Quite simple. Sly was watching the fight with Rexus and Faye right? Well in the fight Faye mentioned that she knew The Contessa was controlling him with the Clockwerk Eyes and spice. It doesn't take a lot to figure that Sly would contact Bentley and Murray to warn them.

Note five: The Secret Files of Sly as a Cooper won't be uploaded here. In fact, I've stopped altogether on it. It was a nice thought, but with so many plot ideas, erm, bunnies it's getting kind of hard to get around to them. I'm sorry to anyone who was interested in them.

Note six: I have **no idea** how but the site screwed up the earlier chapters and the usual line of dashes/minus signs was replaced with a plain line going all the way across the page. I'm sorry if that bothers anyone. ...Plus it screws up the chapters a lot. Checking over the entire chapter again when I just got done ironing everything out isn't fun especially when something gets deleted. Also, when I uploaded this chapter, the line breaking the author's notes and the chapter had changed to what you see. Can't change it so I need a new type of line break.

SQ: So alone... Natasha's upset, Faye's broken, Rexus is...gone. How much messed up can things get? At least Prague is next chapter. So until next time: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief!


	22. From the Depths of Thiefnet

SQ: Yes! Chapter 22 is here! A tad rushed and a tiny bit of a pain, but it's here! On to Prague everybody! Before that though, I'd like to say this: I do not own Sly Cooper's copyrights. Sucker Punch Productions does.

Rexus: Well what do you know! Smashy did the disclaimer!

SQ: Yep. ...And don't call me Smashy. You're not allowed.

Rexus: You called me Rexy last time.

SQ: Because I have the authority.

Rexus: Other people call you Smashy. Why can't I?

SQ: That's confidential - anyways! Now we go on with the story as our Bentley saves the Gang in...

SQ, Rexus: Jailbreak!

SQ: The messed up fanfiction edition! Get ready for things to get creepier.

_Chapter 22: From the Depths of Thiefnet_

Only a straight-up confrontation with the remaining members of the Klaww Gang could have been worse than what Faye's situation was. Outside was nothing but a miserable mess of a storm as the skies refused to let up on the pouring rain. Though as bad as it was, it was nothing compared to suddenly seeing or hearing a guard five feet outside the safe house. Large vultures would stomp through, sometimes shining their flashlights through the window of the hideout. It had gotten to the point where everyone had abandoned their chairs in favor of lying on the floor.

Probably the most unnerving to their hidden status were the bats. They would just clod on by as they bumped into the building, every time causing at least two of it's occupants to instantly jump with a start. There wasn't much of a danger when it came to the nearly-blind thugs but one blow on their horn and the safe house would be swamped within a minute by reinforcements. All the trio had to do was keep quiet and they would go unnoticed.

But by far the worst were the werewolves. Four times already she had seen them marching by whilst gnawing on something that disturbingly resembled a leg or arm bone with chunks of meat still left on it. It wouldn't be as bad if they hadn't carried around heavy clubs with jagged and rusty nails or if they hadn't had those leering crimson eyes without any sign of a pupil. It was just unnatural to know that they could be standing in front of someone but there would be no telling the direction that they were really gazing in. And to top it all off the teen would eventually have to go out there with the rain, the vultures, the bats, and the werewolves to save three or four people from something slightly worse than everything outside put together.

At least it wasn't any colder. Oh no, that would be reserved for when they went off to find Jean Bison. He was probably off in some frozen wonderland relishing the feel of chopping down as many trees as possible in an attempt to break some insane personal record. That fact and theory did nothing to cause anyone, namely Faye, to stop chattering their teeth under two layers of blankets. No one dared to speak unless absolutely necessary, so for the most part everyone kept to themselves. Josie had curled up next to the shaking Natasha, both her and Faye staying wide awake through the storm and unable to sleep. Bentley lie sleeping next to his laptop, sometimes shivering in his slumber but otherwise consciously unaware of the dangers lurking outside the shoddy windows.

Natasha took out a notepad and pen from within her bundle of covers and quickly scribbled something on it. She passed both items to Faye and curled into a ball to keep warm again. Holding the note, the adolescent squinted to try and read what had been written. The only source of light for the building was when lightning would streak through the sky. Other than that, the two had been getting by on shapes outlined in the darkness. It was several minutes later when the room was given a brief luminescence that Faye was able to make out what the message was:

'I'm very sorry.'

Faye peered back up the at the small silhouette and after debating it for a little bit, took the chance to get up and move with her blankets to lie beside the huddled form.

"I told you," she said, her voice as buoyant as though it were the air itself, "It's all right. I forgive you."

"I... I just..." Natasha took a shuddering breath, her voice becoming tiny and cracked, "I didn't want my mom to be forgotten." Faye's eyebrows rose with her upper eyelids. So that was what the little one had been so quiet about. Ever since the outburst, the kid had been moping around and mostly keeping to herself. Taking into account what she had already been through, it wasn't much of a surprise of what the cause of her sorrows turned out to be. "I didn't mean what I said," Natasha sniffed, not a single tear being shed. It looked like the well had gone dry.

An appropriate response seemed to be weaved automatically as natural as it was to breathe air. Faye patted the panther on the back.

"She won't be forgotten as long as you remember her," she whispered. If there was any effect from her words, Faye couldn't see it.

"But..." came the response, "I wanted other people to remember her, too. She did just as much work as anyone. She probably did more work than Carmelita. Why didn't they put her in?" The teen's stomach was seized and twisted by nausea. How could she have so easily put her memories away, even if most were missing? The mental impression of her own mother had been wiped clean, but surely if the Dimension Disrupter could lock away recollections it could unlock them too.

It was that thought alone that barely quelled a deep loathing and fury for the time being, though the ache remained all the same.

"I don't know," Faye replied. A quick urge to defend her world came over her as an empty feeling began to settle in the air. She reached out into the vocabularic sphere around her and added, "Maybe they only got bits and pieces."

"Maybe..." Natasha shifted under the covers and pulled her knees to her chin. "It doesn't make it right."

"Maybe," the human agreed, "but it's not their fault. ...When there's only bits and pieces, it's hard to see the full story." A gale made the wooden boards over the right window groan but that was it. The two remained silent. There was next to nil to be done about the the developers from the misplaced adolescent's home, and the dreary weather was making it difficult to not be pessimistic. Stifling a yawn, Faye shifted her shoulders to get what little comfort she could from the floor. As her eyes drooped, Natasha's voice interjected the oncoming catnap.

"My mom was supposed to be in a video game," she nearly mussitated, making it a challenge to make out what she was saying. As she continued, so did the volume of her voice till it was just under her normal tone, "...It was going to be a simulator for recruits, but...Vermon," she snarled, "was part of it. He didn't want the game to be made. He said it would be better for recruits to get in some fieldwork instead of simulating something. She said someone promised to to complete it, but he didn't." The panther broke down into tears, trying to muffle her mouth with the comforter to keep their secrecy withheld.

_Splash-squish!_

They froze. A vulture waltz by the set of stairs outside, the guard's light swinging towards the semi-boarded up window as it passed. When it seemed that the bird of prey had left, Faye gently shook the other's shoulder.

"It's okay," she muttered, reiterating it a few times until their respiration had evened out a tad. There was no reason to not be on alert in their current location so close to The Contessa. It could be said that the prison was a complete nightmare, but apparently the black widow's abode was worse. With a flash of hindsight, it was very well possible considering that Neyla had been scared out of her mind by the local ghosts. Hadn't the place been a veritable deathtrap? Tanks rolling by, Carmelita with glowing eyes up in the tower, the guillotine - oh heck on a deflated blimp, were they going to kill her that way?!

She shuddered at the very idea. Bile was swirling up her esophagus but she managed to stuff it back down. She wasn't going anywhere near that guillotine if she could help it. In fact, she would creep around the old place, the 'Gothic nightmare' of a home, as slowly as she could. No use in running straight into - no. She paused the train of thought before it could go any further. It was unpleasant and could wait. Instead, she turned back to what had been said a little earlier. A small lump already forming in the back of her throat when she opened her mouth, she lowly inquired,

"Who promised?" Even if she didn't know the name of everyone in Interpol, it would lift a tiny bit of wondering from her brain. The young one moved under the covers, answering as a sliver of recognition cut through her tired tone,

"Winthorp. Detective Winthorp. ...But Vermon made sure he was always busy." Faye's visage scrunched into a sneer. The low-down, no good man had been behind the act. As if he wasn't deep enough in the waters of 'Hell hath no fury.' He was at least earning himself another _thwack_ over his cranium and a trip down a cliff into a bed of burning, wooden spikes for every crime he committed. By the time Faye caught up to him, the man would have better luck undergoing a lobotomy coupled by whatever violent things a teenage mind could come up with for a certain double-crossing, cockney liar ten-fold. If the Cooper Gang ever tracked him down, a girl with a flamethrower would be the least of his troubles.

"We'll get him back. I promise," Faye told the orphan, a thick line of hatred in her statement.

"O-okay. Thank you." Not too long afterwards, the usual light breathing from the child in a deep sleep reached Faye's ears. She was the lone person awake - splitting the technicalities of 'people' between human and animal seemed useless - so she resigned herself to her thoughts.

No doubt about it, Vermon Venery was going down. He deserved it after everything he did and if Faye couldn't do anything physically, then she would find some way of getting payback. Although why she was venting at him, she hadn't a clue. Vermon didn't concern her and neither did his actions.

A single glance at the form sleeping near her was all it took to reverse that idea. He had thrown lives away at the premise of cold, hard cash. The end result of his decisions had led an innocent elementary student to being a runaway and announced as deceased. While the panther was supposed to be going to school in the morning she was actually hiding out near a high-security prison, waiting to see a thief she admired come back so a band of them could be reunited and put a stop to a great injustice to Interpol and bandits everywhere. By the stars above where had things derailed so badly where the daughter of an officer was hanging around with some of the greatest thieves the world - this world - had ever known.

This world. Just how was she...

Faye opened her mouth, something creaking as she yawned. She needed rest. Wandering notions at whatever time it was couldn't have been good for her health. Still, it seemed as if something was always wrong. Even when things seemed to be going well, something was always amiss. Neyla got her eye clawed at, three scratches identical to Yami's were given to Faye in return. Neyla got socked in the face, Rexus got captured by The Contessa. Natasha was alive...

Another yawn escaped and Faye strained to keep her eyes open. She blinked and found that the storm had halted though it was still lightless outside. Natasha and Josie were still asleep, but Bentley was gearing up, triple checking his crossbow and and making sure that the straps of his vest were well-adjusted. A quick, dreamless sleep must have overcome her. So much for a good night's rest. Her eyelids still felt like heaving themselves down and allowing a few more hours to pass.

"Where are you going?" she dully queried. The turtle gave a minor yelp, almost hopping into the air. Recognizing the voice though seemed to either quell or repress whatever anxiety she had stirred. Promptly regaining his composure, Bentley replied,

"I'll be making my way over to The Contessa's house. I might be able to pick up a few leads on the location of Sly and Murray."

_'__Wait. This had been...'_

"Okay. Be careful," Faye warned. The protection on the grounds against a breakout had probably increased now that the rainfall had been broken. Not that there could ever possibly be a breakout. The Contessa's jail was obviously superior enough to keep the master thief in. Surely it would take more than one incredibly intelligent cracksman to free some fellow members of a split band.

Surely.

"Aren't I always?" the genius retorted, earning a small grin from the other. "Stay here and I'll contact you if something comes up." The teen nodded.

"All right." Without another word, the temporary leader left. His footsteps departed and the thieving headquarters was silent once more save for Natasha's light breathing and Josie's constant purring.

Faye threw off her light blue beddings onto the pink ones covering the snoozing youngster, stumbling to her feet and making her way towards the table. She pulled back a chair from it to expose a scratched-up laptop on the seat, still chilly from the earlier, unforgiving torrent. Faye flipped it open and pushed the power button. She sat down on the floor and after a few minutes of startup, the familiar desktop flicked into view. The image shown was a photo of the Cooper Gang along with Natasha, Josie, and herself beside the team van. Holding the kitten was Natasha, leaning towards Sly on the far right next to the passenger-side door. Said ringtail was grinning like the sneak he was as Murray waved to the camera, a bag of chips in one hand. Bentley was beaming in the middle and on top of the van was Faye in her somewhat undamaged costume. Leaning over Sly's shoulder, she gave a peace sign while her left hand made a pair of rabbit ears over the raccoon's head.

The scene was interrupted by a window abruptly popping up. It held a simple message:

-Hello.- Accompanying it was the username 'guest.' As the message sunk in, Faye began to glare at the word and put a finger on the mouse pad near her. This was the last thing she needed.

-Do not close the chat.- The cursor moved to the little red square with a white 'x' in the chat window.

-Do not alert anyone about us or we will not help you.- At that Faye rose an eyebrow. If her suspicions were correct, she was typing into a trap. If it was another gang they would want something from her eventually as a return favor. Whoever was communicating already knew how to contact her, that much was evident. Although would it be better to ignore the potential threat or talk to the bunch? It sounded like she only had one of two choices, but could there be another way altogether?

The small internal debate ended in a couple minutes and she typed up a response:

'Right. And why should I trust you?' As if the other party had anticipated what she would send, a reply was given right back in about a quarter of a minute.

-That is your choice to make. You have no reason to trust us just as we have no reason to truly trust you if no trust exists in the first place.- _'Truly trust? Truly trust. Truly trust, truly trust, truly trust. Why does that ring a bell?'_ Faye stared at the instachat window as she turned the words about. It was a few minutes later that she went ahead and sent her message. There was no need in blindly rushing into the situation like an idiot.

'Truly? So you trust me to an extent. Meaning I'm worth something. Or at least some of my knowledge is.' Again it seemed that her reaction was foreseen as a return was swiftly sent.

-You are a human, an extinct species. Of course you are valuable. The fact that you are in need of some assistance is all the more reason to keep track of you.- _'Oh no. Oh bloody heck no. Oh no no no no no! They know I'm human? Nobody knows I'm human. Nobody! If this gets out I'm screwed!'_ Frantically running her digits over the keyboards, Faye had to backspace quite a few times before she made a competent defense.

'I'm not a human. I'm a cat. And I don't feel better knowing that the Klaww Gang (you) is tracking me. Good bye.' Immediately the next line of text came, something that could have only been possible through lightning quick reflexes or a copy and paste.

-We are not the Klaww Gang. We are U.N.D.A.- Faye started typing, but the other party sent a response first.

-We know Neyla was the last to speak with you via instant messaging, but she wasn't on Thiefnet, was she?-

-Fact is, we want information on the Klaww Gang that our operatives cannot obtain.-

-If you satisfy some of our questions, you have even our leader's word that we shall assist you with the captured party.- One after another the lines came, obviously copied and pasted from an active document. Faye covered her face with her right hand. The chat seemed unreal. Here someone was offering to somehow aid in rescuing the people who had been arrested, all in exchange for some information on the Klaww Gang. Information that the unknown group seemed to believe she could procure. Who did they think she was? James Bond? Besides, Bentley could manage pulling off the jailbreak to get his friends out.

No use in letting suspicions go. There was no telling just how crafty these people were. Poking the waters seemed like a nice option. At least she could find out how even the ripples were before moving on. A legitimate deal could be looked into later.

'And Bentley? Won't he get suspicious?' she sent. Of course he would at some point. How was she going to explain to the brains of the band that some anonymous bandits had assisted him in breaking out the Gang? Even if she could stay off the radar of being a suspect, it would lead to a very uncomfortable situation and doubting Bentley was never a good idea.

_'__Even if he didn't know it was me, it still wouldn't be right. Bentley's smart enough to bust them out himself.'_ A small _ping_ jolted her from her thoughts as another message appeared.

-There is a reason that we are unknown outside the thieving community and fairly concealed within it.- Faye's eyebrows shot up. Whoever had contacted her was deep in secrecy. They knew she was human, they knew about Neyla, and they had somehow kept their identity quiet in one of the most underground communities in the world. Whatever they didn't possess must have been long out of their reach.

-We choose the ones to contact. If you haven't noticed, your chat window sees us as a guest.- Faye glanced up at the top of the window. It displayed the initials 'T.N.' along with the confirmed username. _'Who am I dealing with?'_

-We have no identity outside of U.N.D.A.'s name and our purpose is simple.- An extended pause was held as there were no further messages. An invisible prod from the last statement settled, willing the teenager to press for more information. Slowly, she made her own line of text appear as she gave in.

'And what would that be?' She could practically feel the person on the other side smiling as they typed.

-To guide the world of thieving gently so that honor will still remain for generations to come.-

-And we'll do anything to uphold that.-

-For instance...- Great. She had driven the sender on a writing spree.

-Rajan had sweeping searchlights in his base. Really, even without quick reflexes they were easy to get through. Did that not puzzle you?- _'Ego much? Wait...'_

-Barrels with handles on the inside. Really? Was that practical?- _'How in the world did they do that?'_

-Carefully placed clues, quietly-made suggestions, right people at certain places at the right time. All so things can be done the honorable way by those outside the limitations of the law.- It was too much. Some ego-maniac had his hands in all the cookie jars in some underground bunker, and no one had caught him yet. The sensation of insects crawling on her skin placed Faye at a disturbing junction. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had arrived.

_"__Faye,"_ Yami said, still sounding like she was far away, _"How much do you think they can manipulate?"_ Faye jerked her shoulders up at the other's presence. Normal occurrence or not, it was not healthy for one to expect a disembodied voice to talk at any time. She mentally replied,

_'__I don't know. They said they'd do anything to uphold honor in the world.'_ She paused and made her next words slow and deliberate,_ ' ...What would the limit be?'_ Silence followed as her older self remained quiet. The laptop hummed, blankets ruffled, Josie ambled up to Faye's right side, and outside water dripped off the roof. It didn't take long for the spirit to speak up,

_"__The furthest I can comprehend is death and...marriage for offspring."_

_'__They could do that?'_ Faye's eyes widened at the prospect. Marriage was supposed to be sacred. Sure, it could get rocky and arranged unions were not unheard of, but to lure people into matrimony was not something that went hand-in-hand with honor.

_"__Thieves deceive," _Yami stated solemnly,_"and after everything that has transpired thus far, I wouldn't put it past for someone to practice manipulation to make sure a thief's bloodline continued."_ A sudden chill traveled through the adolescent's veins tagged along by an epiphany. Her right hand scratching Josie behind an ear froze, fingers stiffly bending towards the center of her hand before the kitten moved out of the way. She let her semi-theory be known to the elder of the two,

_'__Wait, so maybe Carmelita was put in her position? To... - Oh come on! That's not fair!' _More than a trace of ire lingered much like how rainwater would remain for a time after a shower from the skies.

_"__They truly love each other. Their relationship is circumstantial,"_ Yami softly assured, admiration trickling into her voice. Faye blinked, finally noticing that her untrimmed fingernails were digging into her palms.

_'__Uh...what?' _The older one sighed,

_"__They can't get close because of their professions, but they still care very much for each other."_

_'__Oh.'_ Faye's ill temper flowed out of her system. Sly and Carmelita didn't need interference in the first place. The pair may not have had an ideal relationship, but it didn't seem to matter. As anyone could tell they would end up together at some point. The only questions were 'when' and 'how.'

Faye's mind snapped out of her musings as she peered up at the computer screen, not just through it in a daze. Another conversation required her attention at the moment. The person in the chat, or at least the leader of the person's organization, was manipulating some of the most dangerous criminals in the world.

And he or she was getting away with it scot free. Instead of making sure that security inconveniences would not be their downfall, felons like Dimitri and Rajan hadn't double checked minor details on their own time. The Contessa, Neyla, and Arpeggio probably would have, the latter more so, but were they susceptible as well to the mysterious association?

The lone spirit broke her concentration, muttering quietly,

_"__...Do you believe someone could possibly manipulate a couple to continue a bloodline? ...To continue a line of thieves with honor?"_

Faye's mouth dropped open. It was a disturbing notion and the more she dwelled on it, the more plausible it seemed to be. Using underhanded tactics to make sure the thieving world had at least a shred of dignity. Too many people like the Fiendish Five ran around, or so it seemed. Even if there wasn't some muscle-bound idiot taking over a city or a mystic Voodoo Mama reanimating corpses, surely there would be some power-mad thug out to do whatever it took to satisfy their crazed goals. The only difference amongst the gangsters was the goal itself. There had to be someone to stand out from the disgraceful ones who turned their backs on loyalty. It just seemed that U.N.D.A. had taken that view to an extreme.

At last, Faye chose to answer Yami,

_'__I don't know. It could happen, I suppose.'_ Silence. The other muttered not a single syllable as she waited for the teen to collect herself. _'But to...'_ Out loud she uttered, "To uphold honor like that..." Throat caught, Faye couldn't end that statement. It left a feeling of being tainted, eating away at her tongue so she could not speak at all. Still, within the confines of her mind, the conclusion was found: _'...isn't honor at all.'_

Gathering up what was left of her rational thoughts, she shot back at the guest, typing quickly,

'And is love something you manipulate too? Really, if a thief stopped being a thief, what would you do?' There was probably a sense of venom in what she had written but if it vexed her, she didn't show it externally. Another minute passed before a response was handed over,

-C'est la vie. We cannot control the emotions of any individual. All we can do is be as we are and subtly make honor thrive. Even if a thief ceased to steal, that thief's actions would undoubtedly influence another to take up honor and so the cycle would continue.- A catch. There always had to be a catch. No one, not even U.N.D.A., was entirely prepared for every situation. Faye soon had her inquiry. Pressing the enter key, she watched as her text joined below the one from the guest in the chat.

'And if honor died? If no thief upheld honor?' There was a long pause considering it was an instachat window. Had she struck a chord, some fragile pillar upholding the association? She had to have done so. A minute passed. Soon after, the reaction came,

-Then U.N.D.A. would be no more.- Yami mumbled something nearly incomprehensible though Faye caught it if only just. Wordless was the request to actually place the muttering before the other party and in seconds it was granted.

'It sounds like you just make sure that honorable thieves can't be stopped. You manipulate people. Any degree is atrocious.' They waited eagerly for the following line. It wasn't just one person talking with some unseen assembly, but two beings collaborating with each other for the next step in the unspoken confab. Before either of them knew it, the representative had taken the offensive.

-Really? Is it so bad to make sure a thief with honor does not die? Is it awful to make sure that there's a convenient structure to climb on at the right place? Is is so indeed an evil deed to see to it that an ancient bird is destroyed once and for all?- All at once the younger half got it. The interdimensional traveler didn't need anymore prompting to keep going.

'So I take it that perhaps the founder of U.N.D.A. knew of Clockwerk's wrongs and wanted to make sure that a certain ringtail was able to avenge his family?'

'But why?' she added as an afterthought. No one else had bothered to help out Sly, save his friends, when it came to tracking down Clockwerk. Even then, only Coopers had the right to bring down the enormous avian that had plagued the raccoon family for generations..

-That is confidential.- _'Figures.'_

'And here I thought only Coopers had it in for the old bird.' Another epiphany hit her straight on. It didn't occur to her until she had pressed enter. The Cooper Clan were the only ones with a rivalry with the ancient Clockwerk. Only they had any reason whatsoever to track down the infernal monster.

She madly raced over the keyboard to input her question when a _bloop_ sounded. Lifting her gaze, Faye slouched. Her mouth opened again and her eyes were as discs as she looked on.

'Guest' had logged out.

She leaned over her crossed legs, burying her head in her hands. The question she had yearned for an answer to ran through her mind again and again.

_'__How did the founder or leader know about __Clockwerk for so long if he was only found out after Sly pieced together what was in the __Thievius __Raccoonus?'_

A rough sound effect usually associated with an error forced the girl to lift her head back up. The chat window was gone and in it's place was a block. It read: 'Your chat log with guest has been terminated. Have a nice day.'

"Oh no," she muttered as a small smiley face with legs did a little jig above a bar. As soon as Faye had her finger on the touch pad, the bar was filled and the block was gone.

The next several minutes were fulled with fiddling with the firewall, investigating the anti-virus protection, and logging onto thiefnet to look up chat logs that did not exist. She gripped her hair and groaned loudly almost falling into a whine. Creaking from the front door reached her ears, but she was dead set on not raising her cranium not even to check on the virus scan she had initiated.

"If there's a problem with your laptop, I hope it can wait until later." Not even bothering to glimpse at Bentley, she eyed the scan, sighing on how long it was going to take. She brought the top and bottom of the compact computer together then got to her feet, arching her back and moving her shoulder blades around to regain some flexibility. "Wake up Natasha," Bentley told her, "We have a serious issue with The Contessa." Faye nodded and went over to knell next to the panther, shaking her and quietly saying,

"Natasha. Wake up." She repeated the action until the child roused from her slumber with a yawn. The brains of the group settled at the table, activating his own laptop.

"Huh?" Natasha murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Beaming, Faye met the eyes of the lucky feline who had the chance to sleep through the past half hour or so of stress.

"Wakey, wakey," she greeted, "Bentley's back. We have an issue with The Contessa." The duo converged at the table, Natasha dragging herself there with another little oscitance, opening her mouth not so wide this time.

Seeing that everyone was roughly awake and paying attention, Bentley pushed his glasses back into place and began,

"By listening in on The Contessa via vibrations from the feathers on my sleep darts, I was able to learn where she's locked up Sly and Murray...along with uncovering the most heinous crime I've ever heard of!" His tone was bordering anger, although he keep going, clearly irritated. "First of all, the Klaww Gang is falling apart most likely due to Rajan's incarceration. Spice shipments have slowed down considerably, but haven't stopped altogether." The females nodded, Faye passively and Natasha with some awe. "Second - and this is where she gets downright cruel - ...she's putting inmates into hypnosis so that they'll tell where they've stashed their loot. It dishonors both law enforcement and thieves at the same time!" The panther gasped while Faye eventually raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes.

"How could she do that?!" Natasha yelled, almost instantly covering her mouth and directing her gaze to the windows. After several minutes, along with a quick check from Bentley on whether or not someone had heard the outburst, the trio silently agreed to only whisper.

"As I was saying," the turtle said lowly, "She's hypnotizing inmates and Inspector Venery has been supplying them to The Contessa."

"Wha -" Natasha clapped her hands over her mouth in time and Faye sat up straighter in her seat.

"He's done what?" she asked dangerously. Her eyes narrowed into slits and although she was facing Bentley it was clear the glare wasn't for him. He adjusted his glasses and clasped his hands together tightly.

"It would seem that this is what he has been busy doing ever since..." he ceased speaking, seeing that Natasha was shaking with her head down. Having seen the symptoms prior to arriving in Prague, Faye reached out and patted Natasha on the back.

"He won't get away with this. We're going to get Sly back," she said as if conversing with a sibling or a kid being baby-sat, "Then you can give him a big hug, all right? He won't get away with anything he's done. Vermon I mean." The parentless child sniffled and brought her knees up to her chin, resting her feet on the edge of the chair. With the exception of a small 'uh huh,' she fell silent. Faye rubbed the girl's back for a while, not even halting when her eyes moved back to Bentley. He cleared his throat and spoke diligently,

"He certainly won't. I'll personally make sure to include him in on the jobs. ...Is that okay with you, Natasha?" Said kid peered up and met the turtle's eyes, her mouth open agape like Christmas had come early. Nothing was better than the gift of payback to someone who truly deserved it. Eyes shining, she murmured,

"R...really?" Bentley bobbed his head.

"Don't you worry, Vermon is going to get what's coming to him." Smirks and smiles all around, the brainiac was encouraged to continue, "Finally, concerning the locations of Sly and Murray, Sly is being moved to 'the hole' after some interrogation by Vermon," it was clear he hated the man in the two syllables that made up his name, though it did not impair him from proceeding, "while it seems that Murray is still in a regular jail cell. Murray is going to take some serious thinking, but even if I could get Sly out of his own confinements, he wouldn't be able to get past the motion sensors that the guards on the prison walls wear." The girls were leaning closer, Natasha more so than the teenager, awaiting any more news that Bentley had returned with. Instead, he shifted his view to Faye.

"You're not very surprised, are you?" he declared, barely asking a question at all. Faye's shoulders arched as she gritted her teeth. Bentley was catching on a little too fast of how much the human knew. Then again, it would be strange if the shelled reptile hadn't at least suspected something at that point after Faye had given him the Dimension Disrupter blueprints.

"Ehh..." she let loose, trying to sincerely give him a simper. He exhaled audibly and shook his head when Faye didn't say anything further.

"That's...very disturbing," he remarked, obviously not referring to the still fading, silly, self-conscious grin.

"Yes it is," was the automatic response as the girl's shoulders sagged. Natasha turned slightly to face the teen as well and merely blinked.

"Time travel," Bentley stated bluntly. That was all it took. Faye sighed and connected her forehead to the table.

Normalcy was apparently too much to ask for anymore.

* * *

SQ: Oi... Didn't think I'd survive getting through that... Short compared to some other chapters, but the info is needed. Heh heh. Watch your back Vermon! Now, post-chapter notes...

First I think people want to know why I questioned canon between Carmelita and Sly. Well I didn't, Faye did, and it just sort of came up while typing out the chapter. Don't be serious over it, okay guys? They won't be broken up.

Second, 'alright' has been changed to the grammatically correct 'all right.' I'm not going back to change them all. I'm done with re-checking past chapters at this point.

...And that's it. Heh. Although...I do wonder if anyone will guess what U.N.D.A. stands for... Oh well. Time to wrap this up! Until next time: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief!


End file.
